Just a Feeling
by swirlheart
Summary: Sai is more in tuned with his feelings, but love still eludes him. Falling in love is supposed to be natural, but how will he know if he's truly in love? Will his friends help him or make things worse? SaiXIno. Requested fic. Rated T to be safe. R&R please!
1. Chapter 1

**Just A Feeling**

Summary: Sai is more in tuned with his feelings, but love still eludes him. Falling in love is supposed to be natural, but how will he know if he's truly in love? Will his friends help him or make things worse? Requested fic. R&R please!

Disclaimer: I do not own or claim to own Naruto or its characters. Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. This is just a fanfiction written for fun. Please enjoy.

 **Chapter 1:**

Another successful mission. Another party to celebrate. Naruto insisted.

Sakura complained at first but the allure of a gettogether with friends was too much to pass up. They gathered at Naruto's apartment that evening to celebrate Sai's return.

He was bombarded with questions from Naruto, the blond ninja wishing he had come along to assist. Sai told him it was a mission like any other, but Naruto wanted all the details.

"I brought snacks!" Choji shouted from the doorway. "Now the party can get started!"

"I wasn't aware it was a full-on party," said Sai. "Just a mild celebration."

"Party!" Kiba and Naruto shouted at once.

"I guess it's a party."

The recently declared party lasted several hours with plenty of talking and joking. The genders remained separate for the most part. The boys were getting a bit rowdy so the girls didn't mind staying out of their way, preferring to talk instead.

At some point Sakura became aware that someone was missing and went to have a look around. She found Ino sitting by herself against the wall. She looked sad switch Sakura didn't often see so she went over to check on her.

"You ok, Ino?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

Sakura sat down next to her. "Then why are you back here like a wallflower? Aren't you having a good time?"

"I am."

"You were more talkative in the beginning. What changed?"

Ino sighed, realizing that Sakura wasn't going to drop the subject. Ino didn't want to insist the opposite and decided to express her true feelings. Not just to vent but because she hoped Sakura could give her some advice. Even if it was bad advice, at least she would know which direction to take.

"I tried talking with Sai earlier."

"And?"

"He talked, but not much." Ino sighed. "He kept giving me these short answers to questions I asked him and when I talked, he just stared at me and when I finished he didn't say anything. Not even an 'uh-huh'."

"Well, that's just Sai. You know he's socially awkward."

"Still? I thought he got better. He's not as quiet. Usually he stayed near the wall at parties. Now he's talking with everybody else."

Sakura knew Ino had feelings for Sai. She wasn't shy about it. Sakura doubted that her teammate picked up on the not so subtle signals she was giving to him. Unless Ino came out and said it to him, Sai might never know.

"You have to be blunt with him, Ino. Just tell him you want to go out on a date."

"And if he doesn't want to?" she asked, giving Sakura a serious look. "What if I ask him out and get rejected? What if he doesn't feel the same way? I'll be humiliated. I'm certainly not going to ask him in front of all these people."

"I'm not saying now. I'm saying when you get him alone."

She sighed again, looking at the floor. "You already have Sasuke. Do you have to have both teammates to yourself?"

"I already told you I don't like Sai," Sakura said angrily. "Not in that way. Why are you-"

"I know you don't have feelings for him, forehead-girl. I meant having two guys I like care about you while neither of them care about me. Even if it is only as friends."

Sakura began to understand what Ino meant. She was angry but didn't want to start a fight so Sakura decided not to give her any attitude back. She could tell Ino was hurting.

"He'd rather talk to those guys than me," Ino said, gesturing with her cup towards Sai. He was still surrounded by all the boys, chatting away. "When would I get the chance to talk to him?"

"I can pull Sai over here."

"No, stupid," Ino hissed. "Then he'll know! He'll know I said something to make you do that. Are you trying to embarrass me? I want him to come over without having to be coaxed. How would you feel if I dragged a guy I knew you liked over to you at a party?"

What was she thinking? Of course, that would be awkward. She couldn't tell Sai to go over to her either. Sai was better at being social, but he was still blunt and would probably tell her that Sakura sent him over to talk with her, even after telling him not to.

Ino was right. Sakura did have Sasuke. She won that fight. Even if Sasuke was not in the village, she still declared this a win. Sakura was pleased and shocked to hear Ino admit it out loud and give her this win. It showed how upset she was. At least, that was how Sakura interpreted it.

It wasn't fair for Ino. Sakura had to do something.

* * *

She thought all night and into the next day about it. She kept trying to come up with a complex way of getting them together so neither of them would know it was a setup. So far, she had come up with nothing. The only sure way she could get him to pay any attention to Ino was if he was asked to do so, which wasn't an option.

Frustrated, she went to Naruto and Shikamaru for help. She told them that she wanted to set Sai up on a date with Ino or at the very least get him to talk with her for a little while.

"Just tell him to talk to her," said Shikamaru. "Why are you making things complicated?"

"No!" Sakura whined. "Then he'll tell her and she'll know I told! I wasn't supposed to say anything so you guys have to keep this a secret."

"Which means in a matter of minutes, everyone will know," Shikamaru moaned.

"Just get him to hang out with her without telling him what you're after. Ok? Simple."

"I think we can do that," said Naruto.

Shikamaru raised his brow at both of them. "Does Sai even like her? We should address that first, don't you think? If he doesn't, then that might be the reason why he isn't paying her a lot of attention."

"That's why Ino doesn't want to ask him directly just in case he rejects her. Even if he doesn't mean it. You know how oblivious he is. He might not think she was asking him out on a date. Or he might not be in the mood at the moment and decline which she'll take as him not wanting to at all."

"This is sounding way more complicated than it needs to be," said Shikamaru.

"Maybe we should just tell him up front," suggested Naruto.

Sakura smacked him on the shoulder. "Weren't you listening? I said that we can't tell him. He'll tell her and if they do go out, he'll probably tell her that we told him to go out with her and then Ino will know I said something. She doesn't want that. She also doesn't want him to go out on a date with her if someone told him to do it because she'll feel like he was being forced to do it."

"You might have to force him to go on a date with anyone," said Naruto. "This is Sai, after all. I don't think he knows what a date is."

Sakura growled. "You know your assignment." She pointed to each of them. "You're her teammate and you're Sai's. Figure it out!"

"Now we're being assigned? I thought you were asking us for advice."

"Well, now I'm telling you. Even if you don't manage to set them up on a date, find out if Sai likes her. I don't think I'm asking for much."

"Setting them up on a date, whether they know it was a setup or not, is a bit much, actually."

Sakura growled again. "Then don't worry about the date part. Just find out if he likes her. But don't tell him anything."

"That's a bit more doable."

Naruto agreed. If they needed a plan that would work, they could always count on Sakura, Naruto believed. She was very good at making things happen.

"Yup," Naruto said without thinking of how the words would come out. "Sakura and doable go hand in hand."

Shikamaru bit his lip, knowing Sakura would misinterpret Naruto's intended compliment. It came out all wrong.

Sakura punched Naruto in the face, leaving him in the street to wonder what he had done wrong.

* * *

"Ok, our mission is to find out if Sai likes Ino," said Naruto. "Sounds simple enough."

"If it was simple then why did she ask for our help?" Shikamaru questioned from the bench he was resting on.

"We can do this," he insisted. "Let's see. How do we find out if Sai likes Ino?"

Naruto paused a while to think.

"Got any ideas?"

Shikamaru slapped his forehead in annoyance.

Naruto snapped his fingers. "It's so obvious. Why don't we just ask him?"

"What if he asks us why?"

"Huh?"

"What if he asks why we want to know? Then we'll have to tell him and if we do that, he'll know and then Ino will know if he tells her, which he might."

Naruto grinned. "Then we tell him a lie. We don't say it was from Sakura. We just tell him that we were wondering if he did."

"Same problem," said Shikamaru. "He could tell Ino we were the ones asking and then she'll know Sakura told and it will all circle back."

"You're right." Naruto paced the ground. "Oh! We can tell him that someone commented on them being a cute couple and we wanted to know if he liked her and was willing to be a couple with her."

Shikamaru thought about it, then shook his head. "No. It would still risk him telling Ino that we said something, even out of context. He might also ask who thought they would make a cute couple. I doubt it, but it's still possible."

"Ok…" Naruto thought again. "Then we…"

"Face facts, Naruto," Shikamaru said sitting up on the bench. "If it involves asking Sai directly in any way, we risk him telling Ino that someone said something. Sakura said that we couldn't ask Sai directly anyway. We'll have to find another way to find out if he has feelings for her."

Naruto's shoulders slumped at a sudden thought. "What if he doesn't know?"

"What?"

"If he has feelings for her. Sai's pretty clueless when it comes to certain things. What if he doesn't know if he has feelings for a girl?"

Shikamaru frowned, unconvinced. "He cannot be that dim. When you're in love with someone, you know it."

"How would you know? Are you in love with anybody?"

Shikamaru flinched. "Huh?"

"Are you in love with someone?"

"Well, I… Uh…" Shikamaru could feel his face turning red. "Th- This isn't about me, it's about Sai. Let's figure out what to do about him."

"We could drop hints. Maybe Sai will get those."

"You just said that he was clueless. Besides, are we hinting that Ino likes him or hinting that he might like her? Which is it?"

"Either. Well, maybe not the first one because then she'll know."

Shikamaru flopped back down on the bench. "Let's face it, Naruto. The only way we can get a straight answer is if we come out and ask Sai directly."

"But we can't do that. Sakura said that if Ino finds out, she'll know Sakura told the secret."

"And you do not want to piss off Ino. I bet Sakura knows it would ruin her life if Ino finds out she breathed a word of their conversation."

Naruto didn't want that, and not just because if Sakura was miserable, she would make sure he was miserable. He wanted to help his friend.

"What it comes down to is this," said Shikamaru. "We cannot tell Sai anything or ask him whether or not he likes Ino, but the only way we can get the information we need is if we ask him."

"Sounds like a stalemate," said Naruto.

Was this mission really impossible? He wouldn't give up that easily. There must have been a way around it. Between the two of them, surely Naruto and Shikamaru could figure this out.

"So what do we do?" he asked.

* * *

What are they going to come up with and will they actually help or make things worse?

Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

It soon became clear that they couldn't be obvious about this, even if it would make things a lot easier. They couldn't trust Sai not to ask them why and even if they refused to disclose that information, there was nothing stopping him from bringing it up to someone else. Even if they told him not to say anything, there was a very good chance of him bringing it up just to mention that he couldn't say anything about it. So Naruto and Shikamaru were in agreement that they could not ask Sai any pointed questions. They had to keep him in the dark as much as possible.

This just made it even harder for them to find out if Sai had feelings for Ino or not.

"We just have to be subtle," Shikamaru told him.

"Good thinking."

They looked around for Sai and found him sitting on a bench with a sketchbook in his lap.

Naruto went over to him and invited Sai to have lunch with them.

"We can even invite Ino to tag along."

Shikamaru shot Naruto a look.

"Just Ino?" Sai asked. "Why her?"

"I just thought it'd be nice."

Sai seemed puzzled. Usually Naruto never invited Ino to anything.

"Sakura must be joining us, then." Knowing that they were friends, Sai figured that was the reason for the invitation. Naruto must have wanted Sakura to have someone to talk to while they had a meal together.

"No, she-"

Shikamaru slapped Naruto on the back, hard. "Sakura might join us if Ino shows up. We haven't asked either of them yet. We wanted to get your input first. Just in case you wanted it to just be us guys."

"Oh. I don't mind. We can do whatever."

"Great." Shikamaru turned around and pulled Naruto down so he could whisper in his ear. "What happened to subtlety?"

"I was being subtle."

"Could have fooled me. You were being pretty blunt about it."

"Only because Sai won't take hints unless you're blunt."

"Let's just not mention Ino or Sakura for a bit, ok?"

"Fine."

The three of them went to lunch together and talked about things unrelated to girls. They talked about what was new in their lives, missions they had been on and the activities they had been up to recently.

Naruto didn't see how this was helping them find out if Sai had feelings for Ino or not. Then he figured Shikamaru just wanted to throw Sai off their trail for a bit. If they only talked about girls, especially Ino, Sai would get suspicious. It was probably better to do it this way.

When Sai was distracted, talking to the owner of the ramen shop, Shikamaru leaned over to whisper something to Naruto again.

"Maybe if we try conditioning. That could work."

"What do you mean?" Naruto whispered back.

"I'm saying we don't know if Sai likes Ino or not. Maybe he doesn't know either. They hardly spend any time together. Maybe if we get him interested in spending some time with her, we'll have a better way of finding out if he likes her or not. They have to spend time together."

"But we can't tell him to hang out with her."

"We might not have to. That's where the conditioning comes in," Shikamaru whispered. "We have to make Sai associate Ino with good things so he'll be more inclined to hang out with her. When he hangs out with her, he'll get to know her and figure out if he likes her or not."

"Association?" Naruto thought about it. "I think I know what you mean. Sort of like training a dog to sit if they think they'll get a treat. If we get Sai to spend time with her if he'll be rewarded…"

"Ino will be the main factor in all this. That's what we want to enforce with him. Spend time with Ino, he gets a treat. That kind of thing." Shikamaru glanced at Sai who was finishing up his own conversation. "We just have to figure out the treat to give him. Something he'll like."

"He likes art. We can give him paint every time he does something with Ino."

"No, that won't work. It has to be something else. You know what I'm trying to do, right? It's not the same as getting a dog to sit. We're trying to make him want to spend time with her. It's a bit more complicated than training a dog to do tricks."

"But it's the best way we can get him to do what we want without telling him."

"Exactly. Desire by association." Shikamaru put his elbow on the tabletop, resting his head in his hand. "Like coupons. People are more likely to come to the shop again if they think they'll prosper from it. Even if they don't need something, the allure of a good sale is all it takes to lure people inside."

"I like those half-price sales," said Naruto. "I can get twice as much stuff."

"Yeah, but you end up spending the same amount of money and the store will clear out their warehouse faster."

"So both benefit from the sale."

"Unless you end up buying something you don't need. And if you end up spending the same amount of money on stuff, you're not really saving in the long run." Shikamaru sighed. "I tried telling that to Ino but all she cared about was being able to buy two dresses for the price of one, so she told me she was saving money."

"But it's that feeling you want to enforce, right?" Naruto asked him. "The half-price sale thing is just an example."

"Exactly. It's just to get people in the door. Whatever happens after that is up to them. Same thing here. We just want him to notice her."

Naruto looked at his empty bowl, deep in thought.

This was a good way to get Sai to pay attention to Ino without actually telling him what to do. Now they just had to figure out how to get Sai to notice her. To spend time with her without telling him to do so. For neither of them to suspect anything.

"Hmm."

"Thanks for the invitation to lunch," Sai said as he gathered his things.

"No problem."

Naruto looked at the sketch book under Sai's arm.

"See you later." Sai started to walk away.

"Hey, Sai," Naruto called after him. "Hold up a second."

Sai turned around. "Yes?"

"I wanted to ask you something."

Sai stood where he was, waiting.

"I always see you draw landscapes and animals in your spare time. Do you ever draw people?"

Sai nodded. "Yes. I thought you saw me draw people before."

"Yeah, but I mean like a portrait type of thing. With details and shading and all that."

Sai nodded again. "I have. Not recently."

"I was wondering if you could draw me."

Shikamaru and Sai gave him a puzzled look.

"I suppose I could."

"Great!" Naruto hopped off the stool he was sitting on and pulled Sai down the street. They sat on a bench together and Naruto struck a pose. "Draw me like this."

Sai opened his sketchbook to a clean page. "With that pose?"

"Yup. Just like this."

"Hold still." Sai began to sketch him.

Naruto couldn't help but smile as he put his plan into action.

After a while, his arm started to grow tired and he wanted to lower it, but Sai told him to keep still. Naruto knew now to not move from his training, but he wasn't holding an arm over his head when he was doing that. This was a little harder.

Several minutes went by and Sai told Naruto he could move. Naruto dropped his arm and swiveled around on the bench to face Sai. "Well? How's it look?"

Sai turned the paper around and showed Naruto. It was really good. Naruto didn't get art, but he had to admit that this one was well done. It looked just like him.

"I haven't drawn people in such detail in a while," Sai admitted. "It's fun."

"Can you draw girls?" Naruto asked. "You got one of me. Let's make it even by drawing a girl."

Shikamaru understood what Naruto was trying to do. It wasn't a bad plan, actually.

"We could ask Sakura, but I think she's busy. Isn't she, Naruto?" Shikamaru asked him.

Knowing he was playing along, Naruto said, "Yeah, I think she is. We could try sketching someone in the village, but they're moving too much. It'll have to be someone who isn't moving too much. Let's wander around and see."

They led Sai purposely to the flower shop and pretended to be surprised when they saw Ino inside.

"Hey, looks like Ino's working today. How about that?"

"She's just sitting there at the counter. I bet she'd make a good model to sketch."

"She looks pretty bored, too."

Sai peered inside the shop. "Ok," he said with a nod and went inside.

Ino was surprised when she saw Sai enter the flower shop by himself. He was carrying something. She couldn't tell what it was. He was walking right up to her.

Ino straightened up and automatically said, "Can I help you?"

Sai held up the object under his arm. "I was wondering if I could use you as a model. It's for a sketch."

Ino blushed. "Oh? A model, you say?" She looked down in a meager attempt to hide her smile. "Well, I suppose."

"You didn't seem to be doing anything," Sai went on. "It's a slow business day so you're probably sitting around a lot. I need someone who won't move."

Ino was barely paying attention to what he was saying. "If you need a model, what can you do? I'll be happy to pose for you. What do you need me to do?"

"Just stay put."

Ino was still blushing. "Ok." She had never been asked to model before. Not for someone's artbook.

Sai pulled up a seat and sat next to the counter.

"Is this pose ok?" she asked him.

"Try not to look directly at me."

Ino turned her head to the side, staring straight ahead.

Sai studied her profile. Naruto had made a more dramatic pose. Ino's seemed boring by comparison.

"It's a very simple pose," Sai said, looking at her. He wanted to make it look more interesting. "Move your hand slightly."

"Like this?"

"No. More that way."

Ino looked down, bringing her other arm up. "Like this?"

"No. More like this." Sai moved closer and moved her left hand to where he wanted it to be placed on the counter.

Sai was so close to her. She could smell his shampoo.

"Actually…" Sai looked at her. When Sai started touching her, Ino stood frozen like a mannequin waiting to be moved. "Let's move your hand over here. Let it rest above your right elbow. Keep your right arm where it is."

Her hands were soft. He was surprised a ninja's hands could be this soft. Ino probably didn't see much combat, preferring to battle from further away in order to keep her body safe. She relied on her looks a lot and clearly took good care of herself. Maybe he shouldn't have been so surprised her hands weren't rough like those of her male teammates.

This may have been his first time touching her hands, now that he thought about it. He touched Naruto's hands more often than he touched Ino's. He touched Sakura's, too, but she usually wore gloves. He wondered how soft her hands were. The gloves must have offered some protection, even amidst punching heavy stones and thick wooden doors.

He moved to the side, eyeing Ino from a different perspective. He wasn't satisfied yet.

"Tilt your head slightly down."

"Like this?"

"Up a little more. Good. Now turn slightly towards me. No, too much. Back a little."

"Here?"

"Have your chin rest lightly on your right hand. Keep your hand just like that and bring your head down a little more."

Thinking nothing of it, he placed his hand on Ino's jaw and brought her chin where he wanted it. Ino blushed even harder, but Sai barely noticed. To him, there was nothing to blush about. He was just moving a model to where he needed it for his portrait. It wasn't a loving gesture.

"Perfect. Right there."

"Ok." Ino tried to calm down so her face wasn't so red. She hoped he didn't notice. She hoped it wouldn't show up in his drawing either.

Sai picked up his sketchbook and sat down. "Just look straight ahead and don't move."

"Straight ahead from where my head is now?"

"Yes. Now keep still."

Sai started drawing.

Ino did her best to stay still. She wanted to talk to him, but that would require her to move which he didn't want. She stayed perfectly still, staring at the lilies on the table opposite her.

The silence was filled by the strokes of Sai's pencil.

Sai stared at her as much as possible as he drew, mapping out her face on paper. He glanced down every now and then to make sure everything looked right. He started to look at her less. Then he looked at her more.

It was looking good. This was a nice pose. The position of her body flowed nicely on the paper, keeping the eye moving. From her chin, down her arm, to the other arm and back up to her shoulder and head.

Smelling the sweet flowers all around him, Sai decided to add some of them to the background so the page didn't look so empty. It was really sweet in here. He wondered how they could stand being in this shop for so long. Wouldn't the smell get to them after a while? It smelled nice, but over time…

Sai started to add some details to Ino's face. Her makeup made it easier. Her lipstick made her lips more pronounced than someone who wasn't wearing any. The eyeliner made her eyes stand out more. He kept that area dark so her eyes wouldn't be hidden by the shadows cast from her long bangs. Her half-hidden face made for a more interesting picture, but he wanted her face to be noticeable. That was why he had her face turned slightly to one side, so the side that wasn't covered by hair could be seen.

With all this makeup, Sai wondered if she had any perfume on. In a place like this, it wasn't needed. She probably smelled like flowers all the time. When he was moving her around, he didn't notice any perfume, but with all these flowers around, it was probably unnoticeable anyway.

He wondered why he was thinking that. It must have been the flowers. The strong smell must have made him wonder if she wore any perfume because he couldn't tell.

He added detail to her earring next. The jewel was sparkling in the light. Her tilted head made it easier for the light to find the jewel. Sai was careful not to have the earring be the focal point of the piece. It should have been the model's eyes.

Lucky for him, the light also lit up Ino's eyes, making them sparkle like the jewel. He gave special attention to her eyes next.

A little shading here, a little rub there to blend it. Some more detail to her lashes.

Sai studied her face and eyes for a long time. He looked down at his sketch, comparing. It looked good. Just a little more lighting on her cheek, just below the eye. He erased, blended and rubbed. A stroke here and there. Rubbing.

He looked back at her face.

There was so much detail he had never noticed before. He didn't look at Ino very long to begin with, but now that he was sketching her it was hard not to notice all the details of her face.

It was structured so well. From an artist perspective, of course.

Her eyes were beautiful, the earring helped keep the eye moving so the viewer looked at her whole face, and the long hair help frame her body. The flowers helped fill in the background and her arms drew the eye from her chin down and up and back to her face. It all flowed so well.

It looked good. Really good. This may have been better than Naruto's portrait.

He looked from the sketch back to her face.

Her cheek. Right below the eye. The light was hitting it just so.

It looked like white space. Sort of empty. Like something was missing. A certain allure that drew you in.

Sai looked away from the drawing and at Ino's face.

It was no different from her flesh. A good likeness.

Inviting.

Her cheek looked so soft.

Sai's lips tingled, wanting something.

Sai blinked. What an odd thought. What brought that on?

Sai looked at the drawing and back at Ino. Satisfied, he stood up. "All done. You can move now."

Ino stood up straight, stretching. "How's it look?" she asked.

Sai showed her the drawing.

"Ohh!" Ino smiled, her eyes dancing across the page. "That looks amazing."

Sai smiled, proud of his work. He was pleased to see Ino's eyes moving so much. Just as he wanted, the viewer's eyes moved all over the page rather than getting stuck on one detail.

"You're so good, Sai," Ino told him with a big grin. "I look beautiful."

"Thanks." Sai was always pleased to hear someone compliment his talent. His brother praised him as well, and it only encouraged him to do more. Now that Ino was praising him, he felt a sense of pride and joy. It made him want to draw something else. Something else to show off.

He wanted to get this reaction again. What else would please Ino so much that he could draw for her?

Draw for her? Why did he want to draw with her in mind?

It must have been for this sort of reaction. He liked hearing her praise his work and he really enjoyed seeing her smile so much. She did have a nice smile.

"You did a great job capturing my beauty." Ino handed him back the sketchbook. "That was fun. We should do it again some time."

"Yes," Sai agreed. "It was fun for me, as well. I think that was the longest time you've gone without talking. It was nice."

"Idiot!" Naruto almost shouted from outside when he overheard what Sai just said. Before he could scold Sai for saying the wrong thing to her face, Shikamaru threw both hands over his mouth and pulled him behind the building.

"Dammit, Sai," Shikamaru moaned. "Whoever's piloting your brain needs to be replaced right now because he's drunk at the wheel."

Back inside Ino took offense at Sai's comment. He liked that she wasn't talking? That was nice for him? She wanted to smack him for saying such a thing.

But then Sai went on.

"Having you not talk allowed me to work without distraction. Normally, I would try to listen to whatever the person says. When I do that, I'm only half paying attention to both things. With all the quiet, I was able to concentrate completely."

Sai looked at his finished drawing with a smile.

"I was able to focus and pay attention to even the smallest detail. I'm happy with how it turned out. I don't think this would have turned out half as good if I hadn't been concentrating so much."

Sai must have been able to capture her beauty so well because she wasn't distracting him. That's why his drawing looked so good. Ino now believed that Sai wasn't trying to insult her at all. It was a compliment. He was able to devote himself to his work and made it look good for her all thanks to her not distracting him with conversation.

She also came to understand that if she had talked, it would have ruined the drawing because she would be moving. She knew that from the beginning but must have overlooked it. That was why Sai said it was nice she wasn't talking. It wasn't because he didn't want to hear her voice. It was because he wanted the drawing to come out well. He was really thanking her for being a good model and not moving.

Sai never intended to insult her in the first place. He was just blunt, which everyone knew by now. However, in addition to being able to concentrate without distraction and being able to draw someone who wasn't moving around, Sai did find Ino not speaking to be a nice change. She never shut up which he did find annoying after a while. He enjoyed the peace and quiet.

Ino gave Sai a smile. "Thanks for sketching me. It really did turn out great. Let's go it again some time. It's not like I have anything better to do on slow days. Feel free to come in."

"Sure." Sai smiled back. "See you another time, then."

Ino was hoping to interact with Sai a bit more than that. They didn't really have a chance to talk and all he did was sketch her for several minutes. It was nice to spend some time with him, and she did get to see a beautiful drawing of herself from him, but she was really hoping for more. After he was finished drawing, he got up and left.

She wasn't sure what to make of this. She wasn't sure if she should be happy or disappointed. She didn't know how to feel about this. Was this just business for him? Should she just be grateful he walked into her shop and asked to draw her?

Since she did get to spend some time with him, limited as it was, she decided to call it a success and not read into him leaving right after he was finished drawing her.

Outside, Sai looked around for Naruto and Shikamaru. He wondered if they got tired of waiting for him to finish and went home.

"Guys?"

Shikamaru and Naruto showed up. "Hey. What's up?"

"I sketched Ino."

"You don't say." They pretended they hadn't been eavesdropping the whole time.

"Look." Sai showed them his sketch.

"Oh, how cool. You did a great job."

"Thanks. Ino thought so, too."

"Well, it does look like her."

"It's supposed to." Sai turned the paper around and looked at it. He was really pleased with how this turned out.

"You're good at drawing girls. Ino made a really good model, huh?"

Sai agreed. "Yes. She did." He closed the sketchbook. "I'll have to try drawing her again sometime. I had fun doing this."

Shikamaru grinned. "That's good."

* * *

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	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

Though the modeling session went well, Sai hadn't spoken to Ino since. Naruto and Shikamaru grew discouraged as Sai went two full days without mentioning her or speaking to her. They thought Sai would at least approach her with the intention to draw her again like he said he would. He didn't even drop by to say hello to her at the shop.

"I don't get it," said Naruto. "It was supposed to work."

"We probably need to reinforce it," said Shikamaru. "Once wasn't enough to get him to want to spend more time with her."

"Apparently. So what's the plan? We can't ask him to go over and draw her again. That plan of mine was a one-use thing. If we try it again, he'll know we're up to something."

"Maybe if we all go on a mission together… No, we've battled together before. It wasn't enough to bond them in that way."

Naruto shook his head. "If you can trust your friends to watch your back on the battlefield, you can trust them with other things. I trust Sai to protect me in battle and I trust him to protect me other times when we're not fighting. It's got to be the same way for them."

"This is different, Naruto. This is romance. Romance doesn't always happen on the battlefield. Sometimes you're just friends." He sighed. "Bonding in battle isn't going to cut it. They need to bond during their regular lives. Times when they're not in battle. Living everyday lives and being social. That's what we need."

"You sure?"

Shikamaru nodded. "Ino and I are compatible in a fight, but not in terms of romance. I just don't feel that way about her. I can trust her to watch my back in battle and she's a good teammate, but there's nothing else to bond us together. Not in terms of love. We're friend but that's about it. I don't want to date her. Seems like a pain."

Naruto slumped against the railing he was resting on. "Ok… So… Have them bond over normal things that have nothing to do with battle. Is that what you're saying? Because just because you're compatible in battle doesn't mean you're compatible in real life."

"That's what I'm saying."

Naruto pouted. "But how would you know that? From battle to life and all that?"

"It's simple," explained Shikamaru. "Since Ino's my teammate, we do things outside of battle. We hang out. That's how I know we're just friends. Sai doesn't have that experience. He just sees her in battle and trusts her to help him fight. They don't hang out after the battle is fought. They go their separate ways. In order for them to know if they're compatible, they have to spend time away from battle together. That's important."

"I see. So since Sai doesn't hang out with her much or even see her outside of battle, he wouldn't know. It's a different experience." Naruto nodded in understanding. "Makes sense. That's what dates are for."

"But what prompts a person to ask someone out? You don't just ask someone you know from battle to have a date with you," said Shikamaru. "You see them at other times and something about them makes you curious. Something about them attracts you to them which is why you ask them out."

The drawing wasn't enough and being in battle together was different from simply seeing each other during their everyday lives. Sai didn't hang out with Ino outside of battle. They weren't even teammates. He preferred to hang around the people he already knew well and felt comfortable with. It was no wonder he hadn't noticed her.

"Social activity. Got it." Naruto stood up and turned his body around. "Ok. Let's organize something. A group activity. That way, we're not calling them out or making it obvious."

"Now you're thinking." Shikamaru was pleased to know Naruto understood that a group activity wouldn't call too much attention to what they were doing. Depending on the activity, they could find a way to get Sai and Ino together; even if it was only for a few short minutes.

Naruto always wanted to hang out with friends, so him spontaneously inviting everyone to do something together wouldn't be out of the ordinary. No one should suspect a thing. Now they just needed an activity.

Naruto's invitation spread to all of their friends and everyone responded. Naruto hadn't planned everything out. He just wanted everyone to get together and then decide from there.

Games were fun. Naruto decided that they would play some vender games in the entertainment section of the village. They didn't have an actual arcade but they did have several shops set up where passersby could stop and play lottery games and test their throwing arm with wooden targets.

The group spread out, going with their usual friends as Shikamaru predicted. They each stuck with their own genders. There was no way Sai and Ino would get paired with each other this way.

Unless…

"I have an idea," Shikamaru announced. "Let's do girls versus boys."

"Yeah!" Sakura cheered. "Let's kick some ass, girls!"

"You know it," added Tenten.

"Ha!" scoffed Kiba. "We're the ones who are gonna kick ass! Right, guys?"

Naruto tugged on Shikamaru's arm. "What are you doing? How is this supposed to get them together? You're pitting the genders against each other. Shouldn't they be bonding?"

"They will. Just watch."

Shikamaru was a genius, so Naruto went along with his plan.

Each group played a game one at a time, then switched. The girls were up first at the dart board. After Tenten hit the mark on all three tries, they switched to the boys and Choji got his turn. Then they rotated back to the girls and it was Hinata's turn.

After Ino finished her turn, it was Sai's. The boys cheered him on while the girls watched him closely, hoping he wouldn't beat Ino's score.

Sai threw his first dart which barely missed the center mark.

"You got this, Sai," Kiba told him, keeping an eye on the target. "Hit that bull's eye."

The girls watched without a word.

Sai threw his second dart which hit the mark. The boys clapped behind him, causing Sai to turn his head slightly to look at them.

He liked being cheered on like this. It made him feel important. Even if it was only a game and he felt Kiba especially was putting too much importance on it, he liked feeling important.

It was only a game. It was meant to be fun. Whether he won or lost didn't matter. Some people reacted like it was the end of the world. Nothing was at stake here. They were just passing time.

And yet…

When Sai looked back he caught a glimpse of Ino looking at him. Why was she staring at him so hard? Thrown off by her gaze, Sai glanced at her a second time. She didn't look away from him. Did she think if she stared at him long enough it would make him nervous and he would mess up his final throw?

Such a ploy wouldn't work. He wasn't nervous at all. Playing with friends was fun. So much attention was nice. Normally no one wanted to pay him any mind. It was a nice change of pace to be the center of attention for once. It was odd, but kind of nice.

Might as well put on a show and impress them.

Where did that thought come from?

Sai looked forward and aimed the dart carefully.

Why did he suddenly have the urge to impress them? It wasn't like him to want to show off.

Sai drew the dart but his thoughts distracted him. The dart landed an inch from where he wanted it.

His efforts were enough to earn cheered from his team and draw giggles and chatter from the girls. He looked in their direction and saw Ino's smile.

Was she pleased that he didn't hit the center of the target or was she impressed by his skills?

Shino was up next on the boy's team, so Sai moved to the back of the line.

Shikamaru grinned.

Turning the game into a competition resulted in getting the teams to pay more attention to each other. Having them rotate from girl to boy helped, especially when he knew that Sai would be close to Ino since she had just thrown hers. They would be standing near each other, which would make it hard not to notice the one standing so close and watching them.

The group kept playing. They moved from one game to the next, challenging each other and laughing. Some weren't above shoving each other when it came to the ring toss, one player from each team playing at the same time. It was all in good fun.

Shikamaru even noticed when Ino dropped her plastic ring, Sai was the one to pick it up for her. He didn't say a word to her, but Shikamaru was thankful he at least made a kind gesture towards her.

"Who wants to play the strength test game next?"

"Sai and Ino!" Naruto shouted.

Shikamaru smacked him in the back of the head.

"Before Sakura gets her hands on it, I mean."

"Yeah," said Choji. "She'll break the thing with her strength. Maybe we should try something else."

"Like what?"

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm hungry. How about we get dinner together?"

"Great idea, Choji."

It seemed their friends were doing the work for them. People bonded over meals all the time.

They went to Choji's favorite barbeque place. Everyone took a seat. Naruto sat next to Hinata and Ino sat across from the two of them. Sai took the open seat next to Naruto, sitting on his left while Hinata sat on his right.

Shikamaru sighed softly to himself. The games weren't enough. Sai didn't seem to be bonding with Ino. There was an open seat next to each of them and Sai chose to sit next to Naruto rather than her. Shikamaru decided to cut his losses and take solace in the fact that he was at least sitting across from her.

As they ate, they chatted like they always did. Sai and Ino didn't speak to each other.

Shikamaru decided to make a move. He discreetly moved all the meat from the plate in front of Sai over to Choji's. When Sai noticed, he looked around for more. There was a plate next to Ino.

"Can you pass me some meat?" Sai asked her.

"Sure." Ino lifted the plate and held it out for Sai to take.

"Thanks, Beautiful," Sai said with a smile.

Ino still loved that nickname. It had been a while since she heard it. It was nice to hear it again.

Sai thought nothing of it. He was unaware of the flattery afflicting Ino after hearing him say it. He continued about his business, cooking the meat and eating it.

Shikamaru was afraid to do anything else. It might draw too much attention. At least he spoke to her.

Ino scooped some cooked meat onto a small plate and handed it to Sai. "I cooked some just for you, Sai."

Sai smiled at her. "Thanks."

As he took the plate from her, he noticed that Hinata had cooked some meat for Naruto and was moving it from the grill onto his plate.

He thought Hinata was being kind. Her and Ino both were being so kind. It must have been a girl thing.

Then he saw Naruto do the same thing for Hinata. He only gave her a single piece of meat, but it was enough to make her smile and blush.

So boys could do that, too. Usually it was the girls who served. Maybe Naruto was showing her gratitude. Or maybe he wasn't very hungry.

Sai was getting kind of full. He couldn't eat all this meat.

Sai moved a piece of meat from his plate to Ino's with his chopsticks. "For you, Beautiful." He smiled.

If Naruto could do it, then anyone could do it.

Ino was thrilled from the look of things. He must have done something right. Maybe he had this social interaction thing down. He didn't know all the protocols, but clearly he had done something right.

Shikamaru noticed what Sai had done and wondered if it was because Sai just felt like mimicking someone or because he was starting to bond with Ino.

* * *

Everyone went home and Sai and Ino didn't interact with each other after he shared his food with her. Everyone said good-bye as a group and went their separate ways.

Shikamaru didn't pester either of them. There was no need. He was beginning to think there wasn't much else they could do without being obvious.

* * *

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	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

"What does it take?!" Naruto growled, rubbing his head. "I'm beginning to wonder if he even knows what girls are."

"Relax, Naruto. We gave it a shot," Shikamaru told him. "We tried to subtly get them to notice each other. Our obligation is fulfilled."

"But we still don't know if he…"

"These things happen naturally. I noticed some minor steps in the right direction. Dinner last night was a test. Sai had his option. He could have sat next to her but he didn't. That's not our fault. It's possible that he just doesn't have any romantic feelings for her. Maybe they're just friends."

"I'm seriously starting to wonder if Sai can even reproduce. He could be from another planet for all we know. I've never met anyone like him before. He might not be human."

"I'll admit he's different, but I wouldn't go that far."

"Oh?" Naruto turned around. "Anyone else would have done something by now. Made a move, something. Does he even know what romance is? Can he have feelings for a girl? Sai said he had no feelings."

"And you know that wasn't true. You even proved it to him, didn't you?"

"Yeah. But this is different. It's so easy. Why can't he figure it out?"

"If it took him that long to get in touch with his feelings, it's probably slow in coming for this. This is a much different feeling, Naruto. It might take even longer for Sai to discover it."

"We don't have that kind of time. Gah! Why is this so much harder than it needs to be?!" Naruto ruffled his hair with both hands. "It would be so much easier just to ask him."

"You know the rules. Play the game, Naruto."

"Don't give me that. You hate this just as much as I do. The only way to get a straight answer out of him is if we ask. Enough of this beating around the bush. Let's just ask Sai."

"You know we can't do that."

"This is getting us nowhere. We've got to ask Sai."

"Ask me what?"

"Eek!" Naruto jumped back, startled.

Shikamaru and Naruto were both surprised to see Sai standing next to them.

"You had a question for me?" Sai asked. "What is it?"

"Nothing!" Naruto said quickly. "Nothing at all. Never mind."

Sai looked curious. He wasn't going to walk away.

Naruto turned his back to Sai and pulled Shikamaru closer, turning him around.

"He's not going away," Naruto whispered in his ear. "What do we do?"

"It's your fault for complaining so loudly in the first place."

"Don't tell me you've never ranted before."

Sai moved closer to hear them.

"This is a nightmare," Naruto hissed. "It would be so much easier if we asked Sai in he liked Ino or not."

"I like Ino," said Sai.

Shikamaru and Naruto spun around. "You do?"

"Yeah. She's a friend." Sai looked at the pair of them. "Why did you want to ask me that?"

"Uh…" Naruto looked at Shikamaru for help.

Shikamaru kept his mouth shut.

"It's just that you didn't act like you did," said Naruto. "You don't really talk to her much."

"Why would I?" asked Sai. "We hardly see each other."

"What about the other night at the party?" asked Naruto. "At my place? You talked with us the whole time."

"Yes. We're friends. We do that. Besides, the girls seemed to want to spend time with each other like they usually do. Whenever we all get together, we tend to stay in separate gender groups."

"Ok, that's true. But what about dinner last night? Why didn't you sit next to Ino? There was an open seat right next to her."

"There was one next to you, too. I usually sit near you at dinner. It's easier to talk to you. We're friends. I thought that's what we're supposed to do. It was never a problem before. What changed?"

"Nothing," said Naruto. "It's not a problem. I was just curious."

Shikamaru was glad Naruto left it at that rather than come up with something longwinded. They also didn't need Sai to start thinking he had done something wrong and question further.

"You just said that Ino's a friend, right?" Naruto went on. "So why don't you hang out with her more?"

"Why don't you?" It was a perfectly reasonable question. Naruto didn't hang out with her very much either, though he also considered her to be a friend. Not a close friend, but a friend all the same.

Naruto didn't answer the question. Instead, he asked Sai another one. "Why don't you talk to her more?"

"Because she doesn't have anything interesting to say," Sai answered honestly. "We don't have similar interests. I'm not interested in girl talk, like makeup and boys. She only seems interested in those things, so why would I talk to her? I can talk with you because we have more in common."

"Not all of our interests are the same, though. You like art and I don't."

"It just seems easier to relate to your own gender, I guess."

"Can't argue with that. But you talk to Sakura and you guys have little in common."

"She's my teammate. It seems unavoidable. Since we're forced to be in contact with each other…"

"True. Working together and forming plans and fighting…" Naruto frowned. "But even after missions, you still hang out with her sometimes."

"Usually with you in addition to her. We did form a bond together. I guess spending a lot of time together increases that. We got closer because we spend a lot of time together. Same with you. Since I don't really do that with other people, though we're friends, we may not be close friends."

Naruto knew it. Shikamaru was right about compatibility. He was right about spending time together outside of missions. Sai wasn't going to be interested in Ino if they never spent any time together. He considered her a friend, but from the sound of things, he didn't consider her a close friend. At this point, Sai probably felt as close to Ino as Naruto did. Shikamaru was the only one among them with any deeper feelings towards her and he already confessed that he didn't have any romantic feelings for Ino.

If Shikamaru was the only one among them with a close relationship towards her, then it didn't look too good for Sai. Maybe this wasn't going to work after all.

Naruto didn't know if he should report his findings to Sakura or not. It looked like Sai didn't have any romantic feelings towards Ino at all. They didn't have anything in common to begin with. Other than his looks and the nickname, Ino had no reason to like him. Sai had even less reason to like her. It wasn't just about common interests. What was there to attract them to each other?

Looks and a flattering nickname weren't enough. That wasn't love. It would fall apart in no time. Ino would probably go for the next good-looking guy who offered her a free dinner and a rose. There was nothing there to keep her around.

Sai had no reason to like Ino. Naruto didn't know his type or if Sai even had a type. He didn't even think Sai thought Ino was really beautiful. He just called her that to keep from getting punched.

There was no way this was going to work. There was no emotion bonding them together. Nothing to interest the other.

Naruto sighed. "Ok. Thanks, Sai."

"Sure thing." Sai walked away.

Shikamaru was still determined to assist, but only if Naruto was willing. He thought it was a pointless endeavor, but Naruto was a hopeful person. If he believed there was something there, he wouldn't stop.

"We could try to convince Ino to spend some time with Sai rather than focus all our attention on him."

"Nah, forget it." Naruto gave a heavy sigh. "If it's not there, it's not there."

"You're giving up? That's unlike you, Naruto."

"I'm not giving up," Naruto told him. "We gave it a shot, but if Sai doesn't have feelings for Ino I don't see the point in forcing them. I want to help people and I'd like to see them happy, but there's no way I'm going to force a couple of people to be together if they don't want to be."

He wasn't the best when it came to romance, but he knew that the heart wanted what the heart wanted. He couldn't force people to fall in love with each other and he certainly didn't want to force two people to be together if one of them didn't want to be with the other. That seemed cruel. There was no point to a relationship of those feelings weren't returned. If they both had feelings for each other, that would be a different story. If Sai didn't have those feelings, then there was no point in continuing. Sai and Ino deserved to be happy. He wasn't going to bring them together if it would end up making either of them miserable.

If Sai didn't love her, what would be the point? Just to make Ino happy while Sai stuck around because he felt obligated? What about his happiness? He deserved to feel what it was like to be in love and care about someone. Not just hang around because he felt he had no choice. Because someone made him.

"So that's it?" Shikamaru asked him one final time before dropping it.

"We tried to get them to notice each other. If it's not there, it's not there. We did our part, but the rest is up to them. We can't force anything to happen. These are feelings we're talking about. They have to come naturally."

Shikamaru smirked. "How grown-up of you."

"You fine with this?"

"Yup." Shikamaru stretched his arms over his head. "I've got better things to do than play matchmaker for a couple of weirdos. It's too troublesome."

* * *

Sai went to the store to pick up some more brushes and paints. He carefully selected the ones he wanted and brought them to the register. On his way out, he noticed some decorative jewels alongside some colorful feathers and fake flowers.

One of the jewels reminded Sai of Ino's eyes. It was the same color.

He had never really noticed her eyes before. He had a general idea of what color they were. Now he knew the exact color. Before he had only glanced at her. After looking at her for so long while drawing her, he was able to study her eyes. He had studied her in such detail.

That was probably the longest he had ever looked at her. He noticed things he never had before. The shape of her face, the color of her eyes, the way her hair flowed down her back. Even the way in which it fell. The exact shape and size of her earring. The shape of her hands, the texture of her fair skin.

Those eyes and lips.

Sai shrugged it off and left the store.

"It was a good drawing, though."

As he walked, he started to wonder how she would look wearing some of those jewels. Perhaps he could paint her next time. He could use color. He tried to think how it would look, mapping out the page in his mind.

Then he wondered why he was thinking of her in such a way. Like a work of art. He made her a work of art. That drawing was really good, he had to admit. Now he wanted to draw her again.

But why? He usually only drew things once outside of battle unless he had reason to do it again. He would draw things repeatedly if he liked it or if he wanted to get it just right.

Why did he have this interest in drawing Ino again? Maybe it was because that first drawing turned out so well. It inspired him. Encouraged him.

And the smile she gave him was very nice. He wanted to see what else would make her smile.

But why?

As an artist, he not only practiced his craft for the sheer joy of it but because he wanted to get a reaction from those who saw it. That was why he showed his drawing to his brother. To see him smile. Why he showed other people his work.

But why was he only thinking of Ino's reaction? Was it because the drawing was of her? Was it because she was a good critic? That she would be honest with him and judge his work in a way no one else would? He didn't have an answer.

But he was intrigued.

Sai stopped thinking about Ino when he was called into the Hokage's office to be given an assignment. Mind now on his mission, Sai packed his bag and left the village.

* * *

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	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

What was he thinking?

Maybe he was caught up in Naruto's romance with Hinata. Maybe it was brought on after seeing Shikamaru ask Temari out after the mission. Something inspired him to do it but he wasn't sure why. It just seemed like something to do.

"What do I do now? What's the protocol here? How am I supposed to go about this? I don't even know what I'm supposed to do."

Sai went to the library and started reading romance novels but it just made him confused. When he asked to read some of Kakashi's favorite books, the Hokage turned beat red and stopped talking. Sai tried reading magazines but they were meant for girls. Everything on the page was about pleasing a man. He thought the information was transferable but he was starting to lose confidence.

The only useful information he got out of the magazine involved turn-ons. How girls rated certain gestures men did. Things like blowing in their ear, kissing them on the cheek and hand holding. It didn't make a lot of sense to him, but if it was in the magazine it must have been accurate.

But nothing mentioned dating. There were no how-to books in the library and the magazines touched on things that happened after dating or how to get someone to want to date them. Nothing in-between that.

Sai wandered around, wondering how to go about this.

He passed by the ramen shop and noticed Naruto and Hinata sitting together. He watched them for a while, curious. They were smiling. Naruto talked and Hinata laughed. Hinata talked and Naruto laughed. He gave her the boiled egg from his bowl, sharing with her. Hinata returned the favor by giving him her fishcake. Her chopsticks fidgeted as she moved her hand nervously. She almost dropped them at one point, but they landed it the bowl. Naruto affectionately rubbed his foot against the side of hers. She blushed and Naruto did the same.

This was dating? It seemed so odd to him.

Surely there was no harm in interrupting the date to ask Naruto a few questions.

"Naruto," Sai said just loud enough for him to hear. "Can I speak to you for a minute?"

Naruto put down his chopsticks and told Hinata he would be right back. "Yeah?" he asked, standing in front of him.

"I wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"How do you date?"

Naruto raised his brow. "Huh?"

"How do you date?" Sai repeated.

Naruto looked uncomfortable. "What brought this on all of a sudden?"

"I asked Ino out."

Naruto's jaw dropped. "You what?!"

"Was that bad?"

"What? No! It's not bad. It's just… a surprise." Maybe their love scheme wasn't so half-baked after all.

"Shikamaru asked Temari out after the mission the other day."

"The one they didn't tell me about until after the fact when they had to rescue you?"

"That's the one." Sai continued. "I saw Shikamaru asked her out so I figured I'd do the same with Ino. No one else was."

Naruto's shoulders slumped. "So you only asked her out because you saw Shikamaru ask someone out. Is that it?"

"More or less."

Naruto sighed. "Copycat," he muttered under his breath.

Sai didn't have feelings for Ino when he asked her out. He only did it because he felt obligated. He saw someone else get asked out and figured he'd do the same thing. That's what it sounded like.

"She did rescue me," Sai went on. "Even Shikamaru couldn't get through to me while I was under the Genjutsu. Ino managed to pull me out of it. I was so far under."

Naruto saw the look on Sai's face. He hadn't seen that look for a long time. It was the same look he had when he was first trying out nicknames in order to bond with people. A shy downward gaze and docile smile. It made him look vulnerable.

"I felt her," Sai said meekly. "When she was bringing me back to my senses. She saw my tears and I never show those to anyone. She reminded me that I had friends and had bonded with people. She said that she was my friend, too, and I believed her. I know it was only in my mind, but I felt her touch me. I could feel her."

Naruto wasn't sure what Sai was saying. It sounded like Ino invaded his mind but was able to talk to him while she was in there.

No wonder he felt a connection with her. They couldn't get much closer than actually being inside the other's mind. Sai was able to feel closer to her after that which was probably why he decided to ask her out. After seeing what Shikamaru did, Sai probably figured it was the next step.

Naruto wasn't there at the time and he had no idea what went on inside of Sai's mind or what Ino had done to him, but it seemed to get Sai to notice her on a different level. Now he was interested.

"I always see Ino act a certain way. Feisty and selfish." Sai looked down again. "When she went into my mind, I sensed how much she cared about me. How she wouldn't leave until I understood that I wasn't alone. That she was my friend. I saw her tender side. I felt her kindness."

"She's been kind to you before. She even cooked for you when you first met her at the restaurant. Remember? She 'cooked the meat up just for you' and all that flirting."

Sai looked at Naruto in surprise. "She was flirting with me?"

"Seriously?!" Naruto rubbed his temples. "Just how clueless can one person be?"

"So you're able to recognize when someone's flirting with you?"

"Of course, I…" Naruto trailed off, remembering how long Hinata's affections for him went unnoticed. "We- we're talking about you right now."

"Hm." Sai looked off in the distance, thinking. "So that was flirting."

"Either way, you got to see her tender side. Her being kind to you."

Sai looked back at him. "I suppose. This seemed different somehow. Like it wasn't just kindness. It felt… more than that. I liked it and I wanted to see more of it. So I asked her out. I liked when she was tender towards me. It felt nice. It made me feel good."

Naruto smiled. This was how it should be. This wasn't a forced date or him just asking her out to follow suit with someone else. He was actually interested in her to some extent. He liked her kindness and wanted to see more of it. Sai seemed pleased to see that there was another side to her. He wanted to see more of that side which was why he asked her out on a date.

"But I don't know how to date," Sai told him. "I asked her out and I'm not entirely sure why I did it. I guess I was caught up in the heat of the moment, as they say. I guess I was just curious."

"You wanted to see more of her tender side, like you said. Right, Sai? That's why people ask each other out on dates. Something about them interests you, so you ask them out on a date to see more of them and spend time together."

"I asked her how I could repay her and she said I could take her out on a date."

"... So she asked you out," Naruto muttered.

"But I don't know how to date. I asked her out without knowing what to do. Could you teach me, Naruto?"

Naruto was surprised. "Oh? Me?" Naruto then became proud. "You're asking me for dating advice?"

"You seemed like a good person to go to. You're one of my closest friends and you're dating someone. You seemed like the best choice."

Naruto grinned with pride. How flattering. He could have gone to anyone else for advice, and he chose him. Sai must have thought highly of him.

"I figured if even you could get a date, it can't be that hard."

Naruto slumped, his ego deflating quickly.

"Why'd you have to go and say it like that?" Naruto whimpered.

"So how do you do it?"

"Do it?" Naruto asked, his face turning red.

"Dating. How do you date?"

"Oh, that. Well, um…" Naruto scratched his head. "You just, um…"

Sai waited for a long time but Naruto wasn't saying anything. He just kept muttering and scratching his head. He must have known something. He was dating Hinata. How could someone who was currently dating not know how to date? It seemed impossible.

Naruto finally shrugged and said, "You just hang out together and do things with each other."

"Things like what?"

"Anything, I guess. Like… Go out to dinner together."

Sai cocked his head to one side. "Have dinner together?"

"Yeah. That's a date."

Sai frowned slightly. "It is? But we get dinner together all the time and we're not dating. Are we?"

"Of course not!"

"And we have dinner with friends, but we're all just friends. I'm confused. How is getting a meal for a date any different from a meal with friends?"

"It just is."

"I don't see how."

Naruto tried to explain but even he wasn't sure how to put it into words. "Well, you… Um… You… When you date someone, you… Basically… Look, what makes it a date is it's just the two of you."

"But we've shared meals, just the two of us."

"I'm not a girl. And it wasn't a date. It was just two friends hanging out together."

Sai scratched his head. "I've eaten with Sakura, just the two of us. Was that a date?"

"No. You're friends."

"Ino's a friend. How is that different?"

"Because it will be a date."

Sai looked dizzy. "I'm so confused."

Naruto rubbed his face with his hands. "It's simple."

"It doesn't sound simple."

"Just… Rugh!" Naruto was started to get a headache trying to explain this. "Just get dinner together. Just the two of you. That will make it a date."

"It will? How?"

"The intention. That's what makes it different from having a meal with friends and dating."

"So… It's the same thing?"

"Yes."

"Dating and having dinner with friends is the same thing? There's no difference."

"Yes. No."

"Which is it?"

"It's different, Sai."

"You just said it was the same thing."

"You're overthinking this."

Sai looked overwhelmed. "This isn't a simple yes or no answer type of situation, is it?" Sai looked at the ground. "Dating's a lot harder than I thought it would be. Maybe I should call it off."

"No, that will piss her off. You don't want Ino to be angry, trust me."

"But I still don't know how to date and after talking to you, I'm more confused than ever."

"What's going on?" Hinata asked. Naruto and Sai were taking so long, she decided to come over to see what the problem was.

"Sai's clueless when it comes to dating and I'm trying to help him out but I think I just made things worse."

Sai looked at Hinata. "I don't know how to date someone. Naruto told me to have dinner with her, but I don't see how that's any different from spending time with a friend."

"Because it's not," Hinata told him simply. "In order to find out if you're compatible and know if you really love them, you must be friends first."

"Really?"

She nodded. "If you're already friends, it will be easier. The whole point of dating is to see if you can be more than friends. To see if you're truly in love. They say you marry your best friend."

Sai looked from Hinata to Naruto. When his gaze didn't waver, Naruto shook his head from side to side, looking repulsed.

"She means best female friend."

Sai looked back at Hinata. "What if your best friend is a boy? Do you still have to marry them?"

"No, no. I don't mean it that way."

"Small words, Hinata," Naruto whispered loudly. "Sai's clueless."

"What I mean is that you can be best friends and not marry each other. You're also allowed to have more than one best friend. The one you end up marrying is someone you're very close to. Someone you love. Someone you trust. Someone you want to share your life with. Someone you can't be without. That's why you date. You're basically testing to see if the one you're with is the one you're going to marry. Someone who returns those feelings. Someone you bond with."

"A bond?" Sai questioned.

"Yes. A different bond, though."

"How will I know?" Sai asked her. "How will I know if this bond is different from other bonds?"

"It's the feeling you have." Hinata put her hands on her chest. "In your heart. You'll know it when you feel it."

Sai didn't look convinced. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "You'll feel it and you'll know."

"How does it feel? What am I supposed to feel?"

That she wouldn't say. "You'll know."

Sai looked away, thinking.

It sounded like he was supposed to approach the date the same way he would dinner with a normal friend. The time they spent together would reveal if they had deeper feelings for one another.

It sounded simple, but Sai was still confused.

"Are you sure there's nothing more to it than that?" Sai asked. "According to things I've read, dates are really fancy and I'm supposed to bring her gifts."

"Ever date is different," Hinata told him. "Naruto doesn't give me gifts all the time. Our dates are simple most of the time. We just spend time together. If you feel like giving her a gift, then you can. But you don't have to."

"Ino might like a fancy date, though," Naruto mentioned.

"Fancy date or friend date?" Sai asked. "I need to know this before I go in."

"Start with friend date then move on to fancy," Naruto advised.

Sai reluctantly nodded his head and walked away to prepare.

"He's gonna get eaten alive, isn't he?" Hinata looked up at Naruto.

"Yup," he said solemnly.

* * *

Sai invited Ino to have dinner with him. Just the two of them. She showed up wearing a dress Sai had never seen her in before. Her hair was the same style, keeping the one side of her face a mystery. She wore the same earrings she always had on but her neck was adorned with a sparkling necklace.

Sai arrived wearing casual clothes. Apparently, he was supposed to dress up for the date. He felt a little embarrassed that he wasn't aware of certain dating customs. Normally he didn't care how he looked, but something was different about this encounter.

Ino's dress wasn't dazzling. It was a casual dress, so Sai didn't feel too awkward showing up in slacks and a T-shirt. Soon, the feeling of minor embarrassment faded and Sai felt like his usual self.

They sat down in a booth they had all to themselves. Used to sharing a booth with four people, Sai found it to be especially roomy tonight.

"Our first date, huh?" Ino fidgeted nervously in her seat. "This is nice."

"I thought it would be nice to keep it casual," Sai told her honestly.

"That explains why you're not in something more fancy like a suit."

Sai looked across the table at her. "Was I supposed to for a first date?" He wanted to make sure he got it right.

Ino shook her head. "No. Casual is fine."

"Oh." Sai paused, then said honestly, "I've never dated before. I'm not sure what to do."

"Ohh," Ino cooed. "This is your first date? Ever?"

He nodded. "It's true. I'm not sure how to date anyone."

"Even though you don't know, you still asked me out?"

Sai shrugged. "I wanted to be with you."

Ino was flattered. Sai must have really liked her.

It was more of an obligation, really. He felt he owed her.

Truthfully, he wanted to get to know her better. Lately, he had been having strange feelings he couldn't identify. He wanted to sort them out. At the very least, he wanted to know what he was feeling and why. Dating seemed like the only option.

So far, everything seemed normal. Dating was no different from hanging out with a friend. He hoped he was doing it right. This seemed so much easier than he was led to believe.

People always fussed so much over a date. They put too much effort and worry into it. This seemed natural to him. He was just eating a meal with someone doing the same thing across from him at the same table. That's all it was. Yet there were magazines and novels depicting dates as something so complex and delicate. Nothing he read had any detailed instructions, but something told him this date was lacking something. Was he really doing this right?

Maybe he was overthinking it. Maybe it really was easy.

"How have you been, Sai?"

He looked up at her. "Fine."

She didn't seem pleased with the answer and he didn't blame her. Everything he read depicted couples having engaging conversations. These one-word answers wouldn't cut it.

But what else could he say? He was fine. Did she really have to hear about all the details of his everyday life? Such a thing seemed unnecessary. And boring. Most days for him were pretty mundane.

"How have you been?" he asked her.

He didn't really care. He just wanted to avoid having to talk when he had nothing pertinent to say. To get the attention off of him, he decided to have her speak so he wouldn't have to.

As a result, Ino chatted on for a while. Sai listened, but he found most of what she had to say pretty boring. He couldn't help but think this was how he would sound to others if he had said anything other than 'fine' to the question posed to him.

He knew better than to tell her she was talking too much. He didn't want her to get angry with him. Angry girls were a real pain to deal with. He had seen Ino pissed off before. Thankfully, she wasn't as bad as Sakura, but Sai still wanted to avoid seeing that side of her. This date was taxing enough as it was without having her pissed off at him.

He still felt this date was unnecessarily taxing simply because people put too much importance on it. He was led to believe something different than he was actually experiencing. It was also taxing because he still wondered if he was doing this right. He knew he was stressing himself out by dwelling on it, so he tried to not think about it.

Sai tried to pay attention to what Ino was saying so she wouldn't think he was ignoring her. He nodded most of the time. He forced himself to chuckle when it sounded like she was trying to make a joke, and he smiled when she smiled. She seemed pleased with him. He really had gotten better at recognizing facial cues and he had a better understanding of how to respond. He felt proud of himself.

When they finished, Sai paid for his meal. He paused, noticing that Ino hadn't taken out any money. She knew they were going out to eat, didn't she? It seemed odd to forget her wallet. He then remembered that part of the dating ritual included paying for the girl's meal. Sai was expected to pay which was why she hadn't taken out any money.

He wasn't sure why he had to do it, but he paid for her meal nonetheless. If that's what people did on dates, then he had to do it. He didn't want to break the rules and risk doing something wrong. Especially if it resulted in making Ino upset.

They left the restaurant together. Sai started to go in the other direction when he noticed Ino had stopped. He turned around.

"You gonna walk me home?" Ino asked him shyly.

Walk her home? Surely, she knew the way to her own house. This must have been another dating thing.

"Ok." Sai walked closer to her and they walked side by side down the street.

Neither of them said anything. Sai didn't have anything important to say and he was relieved Ino had run out of steam. Walking in silence suited him just fine.

Then he felt Ino slip her hand into his as they walked.

He looked down, wondering why she did that.

He had touched this hand before when he positioned her for modeling. Only touched. This was his first time holding it. It was her hand. The same one he had touched before. But this felt different. Holding her hand felt different.

It was strangely comforting. Her hand was soft and warm.

He gave it a little squeeze.

This was nice.

They held hands all the way to her door and Ino thanked him for dinner and went inside.

Was that it? That was a date? All that fuss and worry over nothing. It really was very similar to having dinner with a friend.

Sai walked away after saying good-night to her. There was nothing else to do but go home.

Sai's steps slowed and he looked at his hand which felt strangely cold, as if he were missing a glove. Without her hand in his, it felt…

He didn't know. A lot of words came to mind, but none of them seemed to fit what he was feeling. He missed having her hand in his. It felt nice. So natural, like a baby grasping a toy. He wanted that comforting feeling.

Though he had only just seen her a few moments ago, he already missed her.

How strange.

* * *

Please review!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

What was happening to him? Was a date supposed to make him feel like this? He thought dating had another purpose. He thought the point was to see if two people were compatible. Instead, he felt confused and curious. Why did his hand long for hers? Why did he miss her though he had just seen her?

The following day, Sai decided to find Naruto and ask.

He found Naruto and Shikamaru together in a quiet area and went over to them. As soon as he mentioned going on his first date, Naruto bombarded him with questions. Sai couldn't keep up with them all and Naruto never paused long enough for him to answer any of them. When Sai finally described his date to the pair of them, Naruto's smile diminished but Shikamaru didn't look too surprised.

"Oh." Naruto was less excited now. "So that was it? That's all you guys did?"

"Pretty much."

"Your date sounds awkward. But I guess that's to be expected." Naruto didn't think Sai would be really romantic, if he even knew what that was. Then again, Naruto's idea of romance was probably different from that of someone else.

"She didn't hate the date, at least, right?" asked Shikamaru. "She would have told you if she did."

Sai thought about it, replaying the date over again in his head. "No, she never mentioned hating it. She told me to walk her home and I did."

"Ok. That's good, then." Shikamaru looked satisfied. "Well, you survived your first date. Not bad."

"I want to do it again," Sai announced.

"Do what?"

"Date Ino."

They both looked surprised. "You do?"

He nodded. "It was my first time. I'll admit, I didn't know what I was doing. But now that I have a rough idea, I'd like to give it another shot. I'm sure I can do better."

"So you're viewing your first date as a practice run?" Shikamaru asked, raising his brow.

"Like I said, I have a better idea of what's expected now. I'd like to give it another try."

Naruto leaned closer to Shikamaru to whisper, "The cobra didn't bite him and he wants to stick his hand in the cage again?"

"The guy needs to know when to walk away."

"I know. Do you think her smacking him will get him to leave it alone?"

"Hold on." Shikamaru addressed Sai, asking, "You know you can date other girls, right? It doesn't have to be Ino just because you're used to dating her after one go."

"You go with what you know, right?"

"Yeah, but…"

Then Sai said something that surprised all three of them. "I want to date her again. And not just for practice."

Naruto and Shikamaru exchanged looks.

"It's hard to explain." Sai rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "While it's true that I want to go out with the same girl again because I already have an idea of what she expects, there's another part of me that actually wants to date her and not for practice."

"Hang on a second." Naruto pointed his finger at Sai with his brow raised. "You actually want to date her? Willingly?"

"I guess." Sai gave it some thought. "I'm not sure why I do. I'm just curious, I guess. Besides, I was informed that you date people in order to find out if you are compatible with each other. How am I supposed to know that unless I date her again? Then I'll know."

"He has a point," said Shikamaru. "That's the whole point of dating."

Sai was experiencing new feelings and wanted to sort them out. He wanted to satisfy this curiosity and going on another date with Ino seemed like the only way to go about it.

However, a second date wasn't enough. He could do everything perfectly but still not get his answer. He had to know one simple yet important thing.

"How do I know if I'm in love with someone?"

Sai could tell that they were both surprised to hear him ask this out loud, but he had never seen these particular expressions before. If he had to place them, it would be somewhere between stunned and embarrassed. It was as if he had asked a stupid question and the answer was very obvious.

Even if it was, they apparently didn't have the answer themselves. Either that or they couldn't explain it.

"It's… you know. Love."

"What does it feel like? To be in love with someone?"

"Um…" Naruto scratched his head. "It feels good, I guess. You're happy to be around them."

"I'm happy when I'm around you."

Naruto clutched the side of his head with his hand. "It's different," he growled. "You can love your friends without being in love with them. And stop using me as an example!"

Sai put a hand to his chin. "Loving someone and being in love are different? Hmm. But that still begs the question, how do I know if I'm in love? What does it feel like?"

"You can't put it into words, Sai," said Naruto. "You just know. You feel it."

"But what does it feel like?" Sai pressed, wanting to know. If he was going to find out if he was in love with someone, he had to make sure he didn't mistake the feeling for something else. A part of him also wanted to know if he was capable of loving someone. Of being in love.

"I can't describe it," Naruto said in a frustrated tone. "You just know if you are or not."

"But how?" Sai really wanted to know the answer to this.

Shikamaru shrugged. "For some people, it comes easy. Other people aren't sure for a long time."

"But how? What does it feel like?" Sai asked again.

Shikamaru scratched his head. "Um, well… Let's see… Um… Well, you like hanging around them. They make you happy. You want to make them happy. Sometimes you feel nervous when you're around them. And excited. You, uh… Do things you wouldn't normally do, I guess. I said excited and nervous… You like seeing them happy. You start to notice things about her you wouldn't normally. Like the way her eyes sparkle when she's happy and… you want to do anything to see that sparkle again. Hearing her laugh makes you feel happy and puts you at ease. You can feel your heart racing when she looks at you and sometimes you wonder if she noticed and you feel a little shy. Other times it feels like your heart is flying around in your chest and it makes you feel good inside and you don't know why. But you want to feel that feeling again, so you'll do just about anything to feel it again. But it's not just for the sake of feeling that way. It's also because you want to make her happy and seeing her happy is enough to satisfy you. You feel important… Just because you know you're the only one she shows her tender side to. You feel safe around her and calm and you know you can trust her and that she'll bring certain traits out of you that you never knew you had and you just feel… Like a better you. Complete and new. But you just mostly feel content. You know she's the one you want to have by your side forever."

Naruto blinked in surprise when Shikamaru trailed on and on like that. If love could be put into words, Shikamaru's description certainly came close.

"Wow."

Sai nodded. "I see. That's pretty descriptive. Have you ever felt that way before? You explained it so well."

Shikamaru's face started to turn red. "Well, I… I'm, uh… I…" He swallowed hard. "I've been told that's what it feels like. It could be similar to that, but, you know, everybody's different," he said quickly, getting flustered.

"So, according to what you said, it feels good, makes you happy and you feel like a new person. Is that correct?"

"Not like a new person. You just feel different. Like… Like you're different around her than you are someone else. And She's like that with you." Shikamaru covered his cheek with his hand, trying to hide his blush. He could feel himself heating up. "But it's different for everyone. You can't really put such a feeling into words, but you'll know it when you feel it. Trust me."

Sai made a mental note of everything. He was determined to go on another date and see if he felt anything akin to what they described. Shikamaru gave him a lot of detail to work with. If he didn't feel anything like this, then he knew he wasn't in love with Ino.

"Thanks. I better prepare for my second date. I've got some research to do. See you later."

Naruto waited until Sai was gone before asking Shikmaru, "Do you think Sai is going to try to force himself to feel those feelings?"

"I doubt it. You can't force yourself to feel feelings of love. You just have them or you don't."

"You're right. Besides, Sai could never force himself to feel anything. He would wear certain expressions, but those were masks. What he felt inside rarely matched the face he wore." Naruto sighed. "Sai's better at emotions now. Feeling them and recognizing them in others. Do you think he can get in touch with feeling something like this?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "If it happens it happens. I say we leave it alone."

* * *

Sai got to work preparing for his date. He read up on romance in the library and perused the women's magazines in the store. Anything to give him an edge. He knew this reading material had its limits, but maybe there was something he missed.

He knew he was clueless when it came to certain things. He had gotten better at it which he was happy about.

Back before he had a better handle of feelings, he had told Sakura that he could tell that Naruto loved her. To think someone like him could even tell such a thing.

But seeing it and feeling it were two totally different things. He could now recognize love in others, but he was clueless when it came to feeling it himself. He could act like those lovestruck people, but it would all be a ruse. He wanted to feel it.

Not force himself to feel it, but to have genuine feelings of love for someone else.

Such a thing seemed out of his reach. He didn't covet what others had. He was just looking upon them with a sense of wonder. If he felt it, he felt it. Nothing more to it than that.

He just wanted to know if what he was feeling now was love or something else.

Or perhaps the beginnings of love.

* * *

"I heard you went out on a date the other night," Sakura told Ino as they shopped together. "How was it? Who'd you go out with?"

"It's none of your business who I went out with," Ino said as she rummaged through clothes.

"Did you lose a bet or something?"

"No! I just don't want you trying to steal him from me or something." Ino sighed. "But the date went ok, I guess."

"You guess?"

"He wanted to keep it simple. It felt so casual. Like we were two friends hanging out." Ino sighed again. "He did pay for the meal."

"But it didn't feel like a date to you?"

Ino shrugged. "I'm not sure how to feel about it. It was nice. I was just hoping for more, I guess. Of course, he did say it was his first date. Maybe he was nervous. He said he didn't know what to do. I think he mentioned something like that."

"A first date for the guy, huh?" Sakura was starting to wonder if it really was Sai. He must have asked her out. Either that or Ino pressured him into it.

"I think it's cute. His very first date ever." Ino chose an outfit to try on. "I guess I can't be too hard on him for that."

"It wouldn't hurt to be understanding. If he thinks you were disappointed in the date, he might not want to try again. Even if he likes you back, he'll think you don't like him."

If this really was Sai she was talking about, Sakura didn't want her to shove him away for making a clueless mistake. She knew how Sai could be. If this was his very first dating experience, he needed time to understand what he was doing and what was expected of him. Just like with forming friendships, Sai studied hard and tried various things to get closer to people. Dating was something else entirely. It took Sai years to become comfortable enough to interact with friends without having to think about it as often as he used to and with minimal amount of study. She didn't want Sai to become discouraged if his first date didn't go well. He needed encouragement. It took him long enough to understand friendship. Learning how to date would take just as long.

Ino looked at Sakura. "You think he likes me back? Why? Did someone say something?"

"I'm just saying he might like you back but doesn't know how to show it. Like I said, if he thinks you weren't happy with the date, he might not want to ask you out again because he's afraid you don't like him in return."

"Hmm." Ino paused at the changing booth. "I guess you have a point. I don't want him to think I hated the date. It was ok, but I was hoping for more. If I have him think I wasn't happy at all, neither of us will get a second chance. He might even be planning something bigger for our next date. If I turn him down now, I'll miss out."

Sakura went into the booth beside Ino and continued to talk to her through the curtain. "I think you're missing the big picture here. It's not the fancy date you'll miss out on. It's the guy thinking you don't like him. About making him think his first date didn't go well so he won't want to try again."

Ino puffed out her chest and went into the changing booth. "I know just what to do. I'll show him I'm interested. He probably wasn't reading my signals because they were too weak. I'll show him!"

Sakura wasn't sure what Ino intended to do, but she was worried about Sai's reaction.

* * *

Determined to decipher these feelings and thoughts, Sai went to ask Ino on another date. He found her in the flower shop and marched right up to the counter.

"Ino?"

She looked up from what she was doing. She looked surprised to see him there.

"I would like to go on another date with you," he said bluntly.

"Y- You do?" Ino started blushing and fidgeted nervously. "Oh, well, ok! If you really want to. Sure. Yes, I'd love to go out with you."

"Great. Are you free tonight? I have something special planned."

Ino's face was bright red. "Uh-huh! Uh-huh!" She nodded up and down. "Sure. I'm free tonight."

"Good. I'll pick you up here around 6:00."

"Great! See you then."

As Sai left the store, he analyzed his feelings from the moment he asked her out to this moment now. He didn't feel nervous when he asked her out. Most people tended to, it seemed. Ino was very flustered, blushing and acting all nervous. He didn't react in such a way, nor did he feel anything that would cause him to respond in such a way.

Perhaps he wasn't really in love after all. He would have to wait until the date concluded to be sure.

Although, a part of him did find Ino's normally bewildering and slightly annoying antics to be rather cute this time.

He wasn't used to getting that reaction from people and he found it rather nice. To think, someone was nervous around him. Not irritated or suspicious, but nervous. And excited. He was pleased he could evoke such a response from someone. It was a nice change.

* * *

Let's see how Sai does this time.

Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

Sai read all he could on romantic evenings, studying as much as possible before the big event. He was determined to get it right. Several things he came across baffled him. He wondered why people would find such things appealing. Scattering rose petals on the ground seemed like a waste considering how expensive a flower it was. Dressing for the occasion also seemed like a waste. Did the outfit really matter? He didn't see why he couldn't simply attend the date while wearing his casual garb.

He hoped all this fuss was worth it. Even after reading up on romance, he still didn't understand it. Dating firsthand was so foreign to him. He hoped by mimicking what he saw others doing, he could get a better understanding of it and figure out what he was supposed to be feeling.

He had new and strange thoughts and feeling and he just had to decipher them. He had to know if it was love or not.

When he picked Ino up for their date he made sure to wear one of his best outfits. It wasn't a suit, but it was an outfit he rarely wore because it was so nice it could pass as formal wear. Ino was dressed nicely as well, clad in a green dress with sparkling ruffles fixed to the hem and shoulder straps.

Remembering what he read and what Ino wanted from him the other night, Sai offered to escort her by the hand. Flattered by his gallantry, she took the hand offered to her, blushing.

Knowing that blushing was a good sign, Sai was pleased with himself. He was also glad that he was able to tell the difference between blushing and someone being flushed with anger. Spending so much time around Sakura helped him distinguish between the two.

He escorted her to a nice restaurant where he had made reservations earlier. While they waited for service, though Sai honestly didn't care, he asked Ino about her day. She started talking and Sai was once again relieved that he didn't have to talk during the date. At least he wouldn't say anything wrong with this method.

Ino chatted on and on, but then she started to slow down, realizing that she was talking a lot. Too much. Sai had been sitting there with the same smile on his face while she went on and on. He must have been bored but was too polite to say anything.

He asked her out again, so he must have liked her. She obviously didn't have to flirt that hard. However, she had been listening to what Sakura said earlier and realized she needed to be considerate of Sai as well. It couldn't all be about her. Asking about him would be the polite thing to do.

"So how are you, Sai?"

"I'm ok."

"How was your day?"

"Fine."

Ino knew Sai wasn't very talkative. He said before that he hadn't dated before. He must have been nervous about saying something stupid. She thought it was kind of cute, but she also took pity on him. She was also curious about him. She wanted to learn more about this boy.

Even though Ino liked to be the star of the show, she knew how to speak to others and she had good manners. She knew she had to say something to peak Sai's interest and get him talking. The best way to do that was to ask about him. Not generic things like how his day was, but rather what he had an interest in. His hobbies.

"Have you drawn anything recently?"

Now Sai was interested. "I did a painting the other day. A forest."

"Oh? How'd it turn out?"

"Well, I think. I liked it. I've also been working on some other stuff in my spare time."

Ino smiled. "Tell me about them."

It came so naturally. Sai didn't have to think about what he was going to say. He just said it. Now he was the chatty one by comparison. Ino really seemed interested. He offered to show her some of his work and she seemed very much inclined. Not because she felt obligated but because she was curious and wanted to see his work. This made Sai happy.

After dinner, they took a walk through the park. It wasn't just to work off the meal. In Sai's studies, strolls through the park or along the beach were considered very romantic. Since there were no beaches around, this was the only option. They were able to see the very last part of the sunset when they left the restaurant and were now walking under starlight. The streetlamps made it hard to see the stars, so Sai took Ino down a path he knew very well and stood her next to him in the grass, pointing straight up.

"I come here often to draw," he explained. "It's one of the few areas in the park that has a great view of the sky without having to worry about any lights from the lamps or houses. A nice open area to see the sky."

Ino moved closer to him. "You're right. It's a nice view."

Sai felt Ino holding his arm gently with both hands. The light pressure on his upper arm felt good.

They stood under the stars for some time without a word.

Sai wasn't sure what Ino was thinking about, but he was playing over his dating plans in his mind. Dinner, romantic stroll. What else? He had it all planned out. Dancing was romantic but he didn't know how to dance. There wasn't any music either. He was going to buy her flowers, but since she worked it a flower shop, that seemed a bit silly; especially if he was buying them from her in order to give to her.

They continued their walk, strolling through the shopping area of the village. Ino pointed out different things and Sai politely nodded his head. She called attention to a bracelet in a store window, professing her desire for it. It was a broad hint but Sai really hoped she wasn't expecting him to buy it for her.

They did, however, go into a store to look at a few things that sparked her interest. While Ino looked around gleefully, Sai inched his way over to a magazine rack in the corner of the shop where the newspapers and postcards were stacked. He picked up a pink-covered magazine and opened it. He flipped to the page he wanted to brush up on his dating knowledge. Ino was too enthralled to notice him.

"Let's see…" Sai thumbed through ads and finally got to the section he wanted. "Here we go."

Sai skimmed the section quickly, becoming aware that someone was closing in. Thinking it was Ino, he looked up. It was a store clerk and their eyes met. The man looked at the magazine Sai was reading and returned his gaze to Sai's face. When Sai returned his gaze with a friendly smile and unashamed 'hello', the clerk hissed inwardly and fixed his gaze on the ceiling as he walked away.

Unsure why the clerk had such a response and soon forgetting all about the brief encounter, Sai returned to reading the magazine, the cover of which read: How to please your partner and top ten turn-ons for women.

Sai was focused on one section in particular, but it wasn't anything that would cause even Kakashi to blush. The section was on what girls looked for in a guy and how to end a date well.

Sai looked over his shoulder at Ino who was studying something on a lower shelf. Sai looked back at the magazine.

Maybe there was such a thing as too much information. At least in the sense that he had so much buzzing around in his head already and he was still looking for more information. Some things he came across contradicted other pieces of information.

What was he supposed to do? There had to be an answer in one of these magazines. In a book, something.

According to this magazine, the date concluded with a kiss on the cheek.

He was kind of tired and wanted the date to be over. If all it took was a kiss on her cheek, then he had better do it. The sooner, the better. He wanted to go home. Even with all this planning and research, dating was so tiring.

Sai put the magazine back and walked over to Ino. Before he could do anything, she sprang up and pulled him out of the store. "Look at that."

Sai did as he was told and saw her pointing to a chart getting ready to close for the night. She walked over to it and asked for two orders of chocolate-dipped strawberries. Since they were getting ready to close, she was only charged for the one. She returned to Sai's side and held up two sticks sporting four plump strawberries smothered in chocolate.

"I thought we could share."

Sai took the one offered to him and held it. This wasn't in the dating plan. Good thing he was flexible. He was also pleased that she paid for it instead of expecting him to do it. He didn't care for sweets, but he didn't mind eating this.

As he ate, he tried to analyze the evening. Had he found anything out? He wasn't sure. He had fun on this date, but until he gave her a kiss on the cheek, it wasn't over. Perhaps he would know more once the date concluded.

Sai handed Ino his last remaining strawberry, offering it to her. He honestly didn't want it, but Ino took it as a sign of him sharing something sweet with her. To her, he was chivalrous. To Sai, he was full.

Ino was soon distracted by something else and Sai was left standing a few steps away, planning things out in his head.

A kiss on the cheek and he was out of here. As long as she didn't get distracted by anything else, he could do it right now.

As he moved closer, she moved away, once again getting distracted.

Should he just tell her to hold still so he could kiss her? In all that he read, everything said that girls liked the element of surprise. Perhaps he shouldn't announce it.

Ino bent down to smell some flowers growing in a small garden by the side of the street. "I had a really good time tonight," she told him as she ran her fingers lightly over the flower petals.

Sai moved closer. Now was his chance. It seemed like the right time to do it.

He bent down beside her.

It was such an easy target.

There it was. Her cheek. So open. Just like in his drawing.

His lips tingled again, causing him to pause. Why did this feeling return? What was this feeling?

He looked back and saw her cheek. So open. It was missing something. Like an open space in a painting needing to be filled.

He had never kissed anyone before. He wondered what it would feel like. What would her cheek feel like pressed against his lips?

He wasn't nervous and he wasn't excited. He had taken emotions out of the equation. From the very start, he was approaching this date scientifically, gathering data and discovering what was needed in order to gain experience and reach a conclusion. Perhaps that wasn't what a date should be, but he wasn't sure how else to approach it.

Even so, he was experiencing some emotion. He wasn't sure what. He figured it was curiosity. He wanted to know what it would be like to kiss her cheek.

In fact, that was the only thing he was doing. He had been kneeling down for some time now, getting ready and wondering what it would be like to kiss her cheek. The only way to know for sure was to do it.

Might as well get it over with.

Sai puckered his lips and moved in.

Her cheek looked so soft.

It wasn't just curiosity anymore. He felt a twinge of longing. He wanted to do it but he wasn't sure why.

His lips got closer.

At the last second, Ino turned her head.

Sai's lips met Ino's.

He wasn't planning on this.

Their lips touched and just as quickly they pulled away.

Sai's mind was racing.

Had he waited too long and that was why he missed his target? Why was he thinking like a ninja on a mission? This was kissing during a date, for crying out loud. Was it that hard for him to turn off that part of his brain? Mission, everyday life. He knew how to live in both. Still, he never felt his heart skip a beat when he missed a target on a mission. Why was it doing it now? Was he actually nervous? Why now, after the fact? Was it because she might be upset with him? He didn't mean to kiss her on the lips. Should he explain it to her? Should he keep quiet? Should he pretend it never happed or run away? Run away? Why was he thinking that? Like running away would help anything. She knew it was him. They would have to address it sometime. If he ran off, that was just something else they would have to address in addition to him running off. Not that he could. His legs stopped working. Why couldn't he move? What was going on?

Ino covered her red face with both hands. She was blushing so hard.

That kiss came out of nowhere.

It was only a peck, but she liked it.

Sai just kissed her. He must have liked her. Really, really liked her.

"Sorry," he said instinctively. Since he messed up, he thought by apologizing, he could avoid being smacked. Again, having dealt with Sakura for so long.

"No, no, it's fine," Ino said, her voice cracking. She was so excited, she couldn't control her vocal cords. "It's good. All good."

Sai moved to get up but soon found that he still couldn't. Why weren't his legs working? He felt fine now. Was his body still feeling what his mind could no longer process? He willed himself to stand up and, when he did, he offered his hand to Ino and helped her up.

"Shall we call it a night?" he asked her.

Again, the date was ending too soon for Ino. If Sai's goal was to leave her wanting more, than mission accomplished.

Sai didn't know what else to do at this point other than end the date. Just as well. It would help him avoid any awkward conversations following what just transpired.

Sai walked her home as he had done before, only this time she did not go inside.

"What?" he asked.

Smiling, she gestured down with her eyes. "You have to let go of my hand."

"Huh?" Sai looked down.

Had he been holding her hand this entire time? He hadn't realized. He thought he had let go once he helped her to her feet. Apparently, he didn't.

He released her hand. "Sorry."

She continued to smile, taking her hand back and rubbing it with the other.

What should he say?

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Ok," she said. She was blushing again.

Sai started to walk away, but paused, looking at her face.

Something was different.

Something was different when he looked at her now.

It wasn't just the look on her face that was different from other times he saw her. Something was different inside of him.

When he looked at her now…

Those sparkling eyes, that big smile she couldn't wipe off her face, those rosy cheeks…

Knowing he had evoked this reaction from her left him feeling…

Sai shook himself and bid her farewell again, leaving without pausing this time.

Maybe it was ok that he missed her cheek and kissed her on the lips instead. Either way it ended the date.

He wanted the date to end so that he could get home and rest. Now, for some reason, he was full of energy.

As soon as he got home, he started painting. Not just anything, but Ino. He wanted to capture that look on her face and show it to her. To show her how cute she looked with that expression.

Sai worked on it all night and didn't stop until he was finally satisfied. When it was finished, he stepped back to admire his work. He couldn't wait to show it to her.

Then Sai paused, standing in front of the painting.

'Cute' no longer was adequate to describe how she looked with such an expression. Even this painting paled in comparison to the real thing. He was still proud of this portrait and wanted to show it to her, but looking at it and remembering the expression she wore a few hours ago led him to a bizarre discovery and a curious question.

That nickname he gave her…

The one he gave her to keep from getting punched in the face.

The one she was so taken with.

The one she loved hearing him call her.

It was only to save himself a slap in the face. Flattery. The opposite of what he thought initially. Granted, that nickname was given to her a couple years ago, but what changed? Was two years enough time to evoke such a change? Was he the one who had changed? Had something else occurred?

Staring at the painting and recalling her expression in his presence, Sai again had to stop and wonder:

When did she become beautiful?

* * *

It's happening, people! It's happening! Our little Sai's growing up!

Please review!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

Was he in love with her or not? That question still went unanswered as far as he was concerned. According to the books and magazines he read, he should be feeling certain things but he wasn't. The phrase 'walking on air' didn't apply to him. Gravity still favored him in that sense. He never felt himself blush when he was around her. He was supposed to be blushing. So far, he hadn't made a fool out of himself. At least, he thought he hadn't.

He knew he liked her, but he was still unsure if he loved her or not. The mental checklist he kept still had a lot of blanks in it. How was he supposed to figure this out?

The only thing that qualified him for the role of lovestruck fool was the fact that his mind was racing after he mistakenly kissed Ino on the lips. He couldn't understand his thought process at the time. Why he thought certain things and how many questions popped into his head. He had never felt his mind race like that before. Not with those questions and not in such an order. It was strange to him.

After some more consideration, he believed another thing qualifying him as lovestruck was the fact that she was on his mind a lot more than usual. A lot more. He couldn't remember the last time he had to rush home to paint something the way he had with her.

The image of her smile was still dancing around in his brain. He caught himself smiling without meaning to. Once he realized he was, he couldn't stop himself.

He had been practicing smiling for so long, perhaps it was now permanently stuck to his face.

No, that couldn't be.

But he was smiling without having to think about it. Then again, that was easier for him now. Being unable to wipe it off his face, however, was new for him.

He couldn't figure out what was happening to him.

All he knew was that he wasn't his usual self.

He didn't feel awful, so perhaps this wasn't a bad thing. It didn't feel bad. After some self-analysis, he determined that he was just in a good mood. He had been in good moods before and they felt similar to this. Apparently, his date worked out well. That must have been what caused his good mood today.

Then he remembered something they talked about during the date last night. Ino said that she wanted to see some of his artwork.

Suddenly excited, Sai started to gather up his best work. He didn't want to bring everything, so he only picked what would fit in his bag and left the larger stuff for another time.

Someone was interested in his work. Someone wanted to see his creations. How exciting.

Sai swung the bag over his shoulder and left.

He had a rough idea where she would be but he wasn't sure. If she wasn't working today, she could be almost anywhere.

With a bit of luck, he found Ino walking down the street towards him.

Sai hadn't planned on seeing her so soon. He didn't have time to organize how he would interact with her yet.

Feeling nervous at how unprepared he was, Sai quickly jumped behind a building to hide.

He could feel his heart beating faster than normal. It wasn't racing, but it was beating rather quickly.

Sai calmed himself long enough to realize his bizarre behavior.

Since when was he so nervous about talking to someone? True, he hadn't planned out what he was going to say, but when did that matter? All he had to do was say 'hello' and a conversation would follow. Yet here he was, hiding behind a building, working up the nerve to talk to her.

Sai checked the box in his mind upon realizing that nervousness was on the checklist. It was a little late in getting there, but he was feeling it now. Strange that it never occurred during either of their dates.

Knowing he was being ridiculous, Sai came out of hiding but Ino was already facing the other direction. Instead of walking towards her, he was walking behind her.

As long as she was still in earshot, he spoke as he normally would.

"Hi, Ino."

She turned around. She smiled, but didn't approach. Instead, Sai came to her.

Being nervous was so silly. He had always managed to talk to her before. Forming a closer bond shouldn't change that. If anything, it should make it easier to talk to her.

Before he knew it, he was inviting her to take a look at some of his artwork. They stepped out of the street and went over to a bench under a tree.

Ino sat next to him, giving him an expectant look.

Sai removed the bag from his back and started to open it.

The nervousness returned.

He pulled out his drawing but didn't show them to her. Not at first.

Artists expressed themselves through their art. Where words failed, there was a painting or a sculpture to capture those feelings. For Sai to show off his work to others, it was the equivalent of him letting them inside himself. He was showing off who he was. These pieces were a part of him, an expression of who he was. It was an intimate act, in a way. He was letting them get closer to him. Seeing him differently. If they liked it, he knew he could get closer to them in turn. If they did not, then they didn't fully get him. At least with pieces like these.

Ino had already been inside his mind, so he did feel a bit closer to her in a sense. He assumed she felt the same.

But this was different. Showing her something he made was different from letting her inside his mind. This alone made him nervous.

Usually he wasn't when he showed people his work, but it was different in this moment.

He wasn't nervous when he showed Naruto or Sakura. However, he was a bit nervous the first time he showed his drawings to his brother.

It had to do a bit with being judged. What the person thought of him and his work.

Back when he still had a somewhat decent grasp on his emotions, showing his brother something he made did make him a bit nervous. When he showed Naruto and Sakura, he wasn't nervous mostly because he had done so while he was detached from his emotions. He didn't consider them friends yet and he was only with them for that one mission at the time. What did he care if they liked it or not? He became friends with them afterwards, but by that time any nervousness he would have felt was nonexistent because they had already seen his work. He already knew their opinions.

He believed that was the major difference. However, Ino had already seen some of his work. She had seen it in battle and she saw that drawing of her. So why should he be nervous now? Perhaps it was because these were different pieces. Perhaps it was because of what showing his work to others signified. He wasn't sure.

"Can I see?" Ino asked him when Sai had taken too long handing them over.

Sai looked at the papers in his hand, then slowly handed them over to her.

As soon as they changed hands, Sai grew nervous again. It was time to be judged.

But this was also a test for Ino.

He wanted to know what she thought.

If Ino liked these, she would get to know him on a whole new level. Showing her these pieces was like Sai letting her into his heart.

She had already been inside his mind. To him, this was like the next step. A necessary one.

He sat nervously beside her, hoping she would like them. If she did, that was great. If she didn't…

What if she didn't?

Not all of these drawing were of her. Would she like them even if she wasn't in them?

He hoped she would like them.

If she didn't, in a way, it was like not liking a major part of him. Like liking someone's looks but not their personality. It would feel a bit like being rejected.

Ino moved the top drawing to the bottom, going through the work slowly. Sai watched her hands gently move the papers instead of her face. He was working his way up to that. He was curious and fearful of her expression.

When he finally worked up the courage to look at her face, he saw her smiling.

The way her eyes lit up, the way they danced across the page… It was like getting a standing ovation, only better.

"These are fantastic," he heard her say. "You're so good. What talent you have, Sai."

She liked them.

He felt so happy.

For her to like his work so much, with or without her in them, was… Was…

Ino looked up at Sai in order to hand them back and give him some additional praise. She paused, seeing the unfamiliar expression on his face.

Sai was beaming. Not only that but he was blushing. Blushing hard.

It made her blush in turn.

She had never seen that look on his face before. He looked so cute.

"Thanks for showing me these, Sai. They're very good."

Sai took them back and placed them in his bag.

"My brother was the first one to ever compliment my work. He encouraged me," Sai told her. "He even bought me a sketchbook. When he died, I just… stopped."

Ino gave him a sympathetic look. "You stopped drawing?"

"Not altogether. I was drawing in a sketchbook and intended to show him the finished piece, but… But when he died, I forgot what I wanted to draw for him. When he died, I lost my emotions. For a long time, I couldn't remember what I wanted to draw. What I wanted to show him. But I became the perfect soldier for Danzo. He wanted ninja to have no feelings and trained me to have none. After I met Naruto and we actually got to talking, I suddenly remembered what I wanted to draw, so I drew it as quickly as I could. It was just how I wanted it to look."

Ino grinned. "So Naruto helped you get in touch with your emotions again."

"I guess so, but I still didn't understand them. For so long, I haven't been very good at socializing with people. I say or do the wrong things. Most people feel uncomfortable around me. Feelings come so easily to others, but for me, it's really hard."

Ino gave him a hug. "Being trained not to have emotions… I can only imagine. I'm sorry you had to go through that."

Sai didn't know what to say in return. He just looked down at his bag.

"I'm better at it now. But there are still some things that elude me. I mean, I wasn't sure how to act on our date. I wanted to do well. I wanted you to enjoy it."

Ino grinned. He must have wanted her to like him but he was afraid she wouldn't because he didn't know how to date. The poor guy.

That was her opinion.

Sai just wanted to get through the date without being slapped and once it went well, he was curious about feelings of love. He wanted to explore them. Dating was like a test to him more than a romantic evening.

Of course, he still didn't have an answer and he felt pretty confused.

So many gray areas.

Although, Ino hugging him like this did feel pretty good. He already liked holding her hand.

He turned his head slightly to see over her head. No one was coming their way, so they were still having a private moment. He wondered how long she was going to hold him like this. Apparently, sharing something personal warranted not only sympathy but affection from girls. He believed he read that somewhere.

Ino's hair smelled pretty nice. Flowery but not overpowering.

He made little observations while she held him. Not much else he could do, really.

Ino pulled away from him allowing Sai to gather is things. As they both stood up, Sai took notice of someone walking up behind her.

"Ino."

"Yeah?" she asked, giving him a coy smile. Now was the perfect time for a kiss.

"Kiba's here."

"Huh?" She turned around and gave the newcomer a glare.

"What's with the look?" Kiba asked.

"What are you doing here, Kiba?" she asked with a slight growl to her voice.

"I was just walking by. Why?" he asked. "I'm not allowed to do that on a public street? I've always done it. When did they change the rules?"

"Never mind." Ino turned up her nose. "I thought you were spying on me. Or looking to pull a prank or something."

"Nah, Naruto's more into pranks than I am. Speaking of which, you guys going to join us for lunch in a bit? Naruto and Choji arranged it."

"Another outing? Didn't we just have one the other night?"

Kiba shrugged. "Who cares? It's an excuse to get everybody together and I'm not paying for it."

Ino raised her brow. "Someone's picking up the tab? Hmm. I guess I could come along."

"Great. See you in a couple hours." Kiba walked off.

Sai watched Kiba leave than asked Ino, "Do you suppose he forgot to tell us where lunch is being held?"

"If Choji and Naruto came up with the plan, it must be barbecue again. Just to be safe, I can ask either of them when I see them. I assume it's the same place as last time."

Sai nodded. "It's a fair assumption."

Now that they were alone once more, Ino faced Sai with a similar smile as before.

Sai was unsure of what to do. He didn't want to make things awkward by pausing too long or by doing the wrong thing, but he also didn't want to tell her about his uncertainty.

Thankfully for him, someone else showed up and put an arm around his shoulders.

"Sai! Thank goodness I have found you," said Lee. "Naruto has invited us to lunch."

"Yes, I'm aware of that. Kiba just passed by."

"Oh, good. But I am also here to inform you that Naruto has been looking everywhere for his friends. He wanted to get together to show everyone something before the luncheon."

"Oh. Um."

Sai glanced at Ino and back at Lee. If Naruto wanted to see him, he should probably go to meet him. He and Ino weren't in the middle of anything important at the moment. Then again, he wasn't sure what they were doing. If he left now, would Ino be upset? He accomplished what he set out to do by showing her some of his artwork. He would see her in a couple of hours anyway. Was it really such a bad thing if he left now?

Lee tugged on Sai's body, pulling him away from ino and back the way he came.

"Alright," Sai told him and followed Lee away from Ino.

Ino's shoulders slumped in disappointment. She thought the mood was right for another kiss. The expression on Sai's face before… She had never seen such a smile on him.

Yet, he walked away from her so easily.

Just as she was about to despair, she looked up and caught Sai looking over Lee's shoulder at her.

The fact that he was looking back at her gave Ino hope and perked up her spirits.

* * *

"See? My studies are going well," Naruto told his friends as they arrived at the restaurant for lunch. "I met with Kakashi-sensei before and he said I was progressing faster than he thought I would."

"Are you sure?" Sai asked him. "Kakashi knows you're a faster learner. I doubt he would be surprised. Unless your speed exceeds his previous observations, which would mean you're faster than he already assumed you'd be, so…"

"The point is I impressed him," Naruto cut him off. "I'm learning a whole lot, too. It's a lot more involved than I thought. Even the things I already had an idea of. It's a lot to take in, but I'm up for the challenge."

"Although, Kakashi could be impressed because you're reading so much material and considering how you and books don't exactly go hand in hand, the result could be quite the shock…"

"Enough, Sai!" Naruto snapped. "Can't we just focus on the fact that he's impressed with me? Who cares about the reason?"

"I would think the reason was important. After all, depending on…"

Naruto groaned so loud, he drowned out Sai's words. Unable to compete with that noise, Sai decided to keep quiet.

A large booth was waiting for them and some friends had already arrived.

Hinata smiled when she saw Naruto and he quickly took the seat next to her. Sai was right behind Naruto when they entered, so he was the next to take a seat as they filed in.

Sai looked from one side of the table to the other. Naruto was on the right-hand side next to Hinata. Ino was on the left-hand side. There was an open seat next to them both.

Normally, Sai would have just taken a seat next to Naruto as he usually did so during several occasions without so much as a glance around to see other options. Now he was considering his opportunity to sit next to someone else.

After glancing once or twice around the table, Sai moved to his left and sat beside Ino.

Ino was surprised by this. Sai had never sat next to her before while they were in a large group. She looked up at him and Sai smiled at her. Ino blushed and averted her eyes, shyly.

For quite some time, lunch went the same way any other get-together would. So far, Sai sitting next to Ino was the only real change. The others barely noticed. Even Choji didn't see this as a drastic change because the first time they were being introduced to Sai, Ino sat next to him during the meal. She even served him some food. Considering that this actually wasn't Sai's first time in history sitting next to Ino, it mostly went unnoticed. It was only after forming a closer bond with his teammates that Sai preferred to sit next to Naruto.

Taking into consideration how Sai could be pretty clueless and how he usually wasn't very picky when it came to certain things, it was just more of a reason not to notice the slight change in seating order. It wasn't like they had assigned seats or anything.

Ino was the only one who observed this change and was flattered by it. Everyone else either didn't notice or kept their observations to themselves.

As if in an attempt to keep Sai from running off, she enticed him to stay beside her by giving him food. "I cooked this for you," she told him, giving him a small plate of meat she just took off the grill.

"Thanks, Beautiful."

Sai started to take notice of her kindness and generosity, prompting him to reciprocate the gesture. He gave her some of his meat as well, placing it on her plate with his chopsticks.

The polite smile on his face soon turned into a real smile when he saw her happy expression.

He did like making her happy.

Sai paused, thinking about what he just confirmed. Didn't he in general like making his friends happy? It wasn't just Ino. But still…

These friendly gestures… Could they also be categorized as affectionate?

Looking across the table at Naruto and Hinata, he concluded that they were. Naruto and Hinata were doing the same thing for each other.

They were also doing something else.

When Hinata wasn't looking at him, Naruto reached over with his left hand to hold hers. She blushed and smiled.

"Hm…"

Sai glanced Ino's way. She wasn't looking. He looked down. Her hand wasn't on top of the table like Hinata's. It was under the table. He looked at Hinata again. She clearly liked what Naruto was doing.

If this was a romantic gesture, perhaps he should try it, too.

Sai felt around for Ino's hand. He grabbed her thigh by mistake.

Sai was clueless, but he wasn't that clueless. He knew that was wrong.

As soon as he realized his mistake and heard Ino gasp, Sai quickly took his hand away. His knuckles slammed against the underside of the table, making a loud knocking noise, and he then cradled his hand against the opposite shoulder.

"S- Sorry."

Ino looked at him, her face bright red.

Sai's face was turning pink.

Hoping she wasn't about to hit him, he quickly explained in a quiet voice, "I was going for your hand. Sorry."

Ino actually wasn't about to smack him. She thought Sai had done that on purpose to assure her that he was romantically interested. She thought he was trying to be affectionate.

Learning that he was actually going for her hand instead wasn't all that disappointing. Hand-holding was romantic, too.

"It's ok," she whispered to him, hoping not to scare him off.

It was cute that he was shy, but she didn't want him to be afraid to be affectionate with her or to think that she was angry at him for trying.

Sai barely glanced her way after that, feeling embarrassed.

He was never easily embarrassed before.

He calmed down when he felt Ino slip her hand in his under the table and gave it a squeeze.

When everyone got up to leave, Sai and Ino stood up, still holding hands. They soon let go and gave each other a smile. Shino noticed this but didn't say anything. He just stared at them for a moment, then turned to follow the others out of the booth.

Sai saw Naruto hold the door open for Hinata. The last time Sai tried to mimic a romantic gesture, he ended up embarrassing himself. He didn't want to make another mistake. However, after concluding that this was a different situation, Sai thought it was safe enough to try. He walked through the door first, but held it open for Ino who walked out behind him.

That wasn't too bad.

Ino then whispered to him, "Follow me."

* * *

Please review!


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

Sai followed her back to where they had been before.

Sai glanced around. It was the same bench on a quiet walkway flanked by trees and a small stone wall. Nice and private.

Ino invited him to sit with her on the bench. Sai sat down.

"Thanks for sitting next to me, Sai. I had fun."

"I had fun, too."

She moved closer to him.

Sai kept his hands to himself, afraid he would miss again.

Wanting to show him that everything was ok, Ino gave Sai another hug. He still wasn't talking, but she could feel him relax slightly at her touch.

She wanted her romantic moment. Hopefully, they could simply pick up where they left off. She could feel how close they were to kissing and she wanted that. She wanted romance.

"This is a nice place, isn't it? This path and all the trees." She hoped talking to him like this would help keep him calm, or, at the very least, inspire him to talk. "I bet you could draw this area really well."

Sai didn't speak, but she could feel the affect of her words on his heart.

"Thanks again for showing me your art. They were beautiful."

That word again.

Her nickname.

He was glad he showed it to her. It allowed him to see her differently and understand her. He revealed himself through pages rather than his mind or words this time and he was happy he did.

When he thought back to how she liked his artwork, he found himself smiling again.

Which then gave him an idea.

Sai moved his arms, signaling for her to release him. "Wait here," he told her and ran back home.

Ino waited on the bench for his return, wondering what he was planning. Perhaps a surprise. Maybe he was buying her a gift.

Sai didn't leave her waiting too long, so she didn't have to wonder for long.

He returned with a painting which he kept behind his back. He told her to close her eyes, feeling excited and slightly playful. Ino did as she was told. Sai sat next to her and placed the painting in her lap.

"You can open them now."

Ino found herself staring at a painted reflection. She gasped at the sight of her face captured so beautifully on the canvas. She held the painting at arm's length, admiring it.

"Oh, wow!"

"I painted that after our date last night. You had such a cute face, I couldn't wait to paint it. I had to capture it because you looked so beautiful."

"Sai, this is amazing. I absolutely love it." Ino was grinning from ear to ear. Her face was bright red.

It made Sai feel good. This was just the reaction he was hoping for.

She liked the painting of herself. She liked the artwork that didn't feature her. She said he was very talented. Her reactions were the best.

The nervousness was gone and now he only felt excitement. He was so happy she liked his work. He was so pleased with her reactions. How she accepted him despite his flaws, her recognition for his talent.

How close she was getting to him.

Sai's eyes went wide when he saw her coming closer to him with puckered lips.

He knew what this meant and he was unprepared.

Excitement turned to panic.

His first kiss was an accident. A kiss on the cheek was easy enough and didn't seem to require too much talent, but a real kiss on the lips? An intentional one? He hadn't studied up on this. He hadn't practiced. He didn't know what to do.

He found himself frozen and had no choice but to let it happen. There was nothing he could do.

He felt her lips on his and he shut his eyes, waiting for it to be over.

He was nervous and confused. He still felt a bit of excitement from her reaction to his painting, and he wasn't sure how long that would linger.

This wasn't too bad. Her lips were very soft. He instinctively licked her bottom lip, tasting cherry.

Taking it as an invitation, Ino tried to stick her tongue in his mouth. Unsure of why she was doing that and initially thinking it was gross, Sai pressed his lips tightly together.

Something dawned on him in that moment. He wasn't sure what brought on this thought, but he listened anyway.

All this time, he had been viewing dating as a kind of test. Every event and the reaction to said event was data. He had a checklist and he studied various reading materials. He had been approaching this scientifically.

Love wasn't scientific and romance wasn't meant to be either. Not as heavily as he was making it. Love was a feeling. Not something that could be adequately measured.

If love was a feeling, shouldn't he be feeling something? Shouldn't he let his feelings get involved?

He had been overthinking this dating thing too much. He needed to just let things happen and go with the flow. To not think about it and let himself feel without trying to figure out what he was feeling.

Naruto and Shikamaru both told him that he would know it when he felt it. According to Naruto, it was instinctual.

So Sai decided not to think about it and let instinct take over.

It was difficult at first to turn off that part of himself since he was so used to analyzing everything in order to figure out what feelings were being felt at that moment and the reasons behind it. Eventually, he was able to do it. He had to stop himself once or twice from thinking about other things as a distraction. Thinking is what made it complicated.

Don't think. Just feel.

Don't try to figure out what he was feeling. Just let instinct take over.

He repeated this over and over again in his head like a mantra, but even this was a distraction because he had to concentrate so much on not thinking.

Why was this so hard for him? Why couldn't he be like normal people? This kind of thing came so easily to them. He knew he was different but now he was bothered by it. He wished it was easier for him. He wished he didn't have to look at everything from an observer's perspective. How he didn't have to analyze everything.

If he couldn't, then maybe this truly was unattainable.

Was he really that different?

Before he could lament further, he felt Ino's fingers interlock with his right hand.

Her touch was enough to distract him from his thoughts and doubts.

Don't think, he told himself one final time. Let things happen, then decide.

He momentarily forgot that Ino was still kissing him. His jaw went slack and his mouth fell open slightly, allowing Ino's tongue to enter.

He didn't allow himself to think about what she was doing. He just let her do it. He didn't allow himself to figure out what he was feeling, preferring to simply feel what she was doing.

This didn't feel too bad.

Her lips tasted good.

The way she moved her tongue around…

Sai moved closer, unconsciously.

He felt her put her right hand behind his head, pulling him in gently.

That hand on the back of his head made him feel secure. He did the same to her, mimicking.

This felt pretty good.

His body was heating up.

A new feeling came over him.

He didn't think about it, nor did he try to figure out what brought it on.

Sai allowed his instincts to lead him. Propelled by this desire, Sai stuck his own tongue into Ino's mouth and explored.

His body was in control now and indulged itself to its fullest content.

He kissed her, he squeezed her hand, he pulled her in close. The only time he took his hand from hers was to wrap it around her back in a tender embrace. Feeling her body pressed against his made him feel so warm inside and out. He let himself release a moan from his throat and felt his face heating up.

Finally, they parted for air.

Both were blushing bright red and Sai was panting.

Ino looked away shyly. Sai turned his head to the side, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand.

What a surge of energy. He hadn't burned it off yet. He felt so excited. He felt like he could spring into the air and fly over the entire village.

He wanted more.

Ino looked and him. Sai returned her stare. This time, he was the one inching closer to her. When she smiled and puckered her lips, Sai took the initiative and came to her.

He wanted to know what every part of her face would feel like against his lips. He kissed her cheeks, her nose, her forehead, her chin, her jawline, gently moving his way down to her neck. Her flesh felt so good against his lips. So warm and soft.

The energy inside him was spurring him on. He wanted to satisfy this curiosity and not in relation to his emotions, but rather what her skin would feel like against his mouth.

Needing to understand and use up some of this newfound energy, Sai kissed her neck over and over in different areas. He experimented, attempting to do the same thing he had done with her lips, only her neck did not yield. His teeth gently scraped against her flesh and his lips nibbled away at her neck and down to her bare shoulder.

He felt her run her hands through his hair and he rested his forehead in the crook of her neck. His jaw felt tired, so he simply held her in his arms as she played with his hair and stroked his cheek with her finger.

This felt so good. So comforting. He felt secure.

He felt… loved.

By this time, the energy was spent and the excited feeling had worn off.

Sai lifted his head and the two stared at each other awkwardly for a few seconds.

Then they looked away, sitting in silence.

Sai had no idea what came over him, but it left him feeling embarrassed. He wasn't sure what happened. He hoped he hadn't done the wrong thing again. He hoped she wasn't upset with him or thought less of him. He was a bit worried about her feelings towards him now. He hoped she still liked him.

How he hoped he hadn't done something wrong.

He hadn't planned for any of this. He didn't know his instincts would make him act so differently from how he usually was.

Perhaps he could have done better.

What would he have done differently?

He didn't know, but so far this wasn't happening the same way it did in all those books and magazines he read. In those, everything went smoothly and there was no question about anything the characters did or wondered if they had done it correctly or if what they did was too much or strange.

Sai cleared his throat. "Sorry if I…"

Ino shook her head. "I liked it."

Sai's face was turning red again. "I suppose that was my first real kiss. I've never practiced, so I, uh…"

Ino was grinning and fidgeting nervously. "I think it was pretty good. But… But if you want… Um, you could practice with me. Heh heh."

Half of Sai thought this was her way of offering him lessons, but the other half understood that this was not only flirting but her way of inviting him to do it again with her.

Perhaps this was what was referred to as 'going steady' he had read about briefly.

Liking the idea, Sai nodded in agreement. "If you don't mind having me around."

"I don't mind."

Sai smiled.

* * *

Please review!


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

It was a little awkward, but Sai thought the interaction after their kiss wasn't too bad.

A part of him felt a little embarrassed but a larger part didn't because he knew it was his first real kiss and no one had ever taught him how to do it before. It was understandable.

Ino didn't appear to be upset with him. Or disappointed. In fact, the following day, she made him lunch and brought it to him while he was drawing in the park. No one had ever made him a lunchbox before. She seemed really excited to give it to him, so Sai ate every bit of it while she watched him eagerly. She was a decent cook, as it turned out, making it easy for him to eat what she prepared for him. The last time he ate something a girl offered him, he got sick. Needless to say, that was the last time he ate something Sakura gave him.

He understood that girls tended to cook for people they liked. The fact that she did this after that awkward kiss, must have meant that she was pleased with him on some level. At the very least, she wasn't angry at him.

Now that he had a break, he decided to look back on the events and decipher what went on and the meaning behind it all.

Sai had never felt affectionate before. Looking back, he realized that's what he was feeling and what he was doing. He was being affectionate with her, kissing her neck and holding her like that. None of it was scripted, but apparently, he instinctively knew what to do. Ino clearly wanted him to kiss her as she made the first move. She was showing him affection back which felt pretty good.

Really good.

He had never been touched like that before and he had certainly never been kissed before. No wonder people did it. Sai was looking forward to trying it again and not just for the sake of getting better.

He still remembered his first attempt to get off the bench after their first make-out session. His legs felt weak. When he was walking, his first several steps felt as if he had just gotten off a trampoline and was trying to rediscover gravity. After a while, he was able to walk again without feeling awkward. He even walked beside Ino holding her hand.

He really did like holding her hand.

It wasn't just the warmth, it was the comfort of knowing she wasn't too far away from him.

Sai had to put his thoughts on the matter on hold when a ninja called out to him. Sai hadn't realized he had been wandering the halls of the Hokage building for as long as he had until someone called attention to it.

"Sorry. Lost in thought."

"You waiting for Kakashi to give you a mission or something?"

"I asked but he said things were kind of calm right now and not too many ninja were needed. Several members of the Hyuga clan are already seeing to them."

The ninja nodded. "It's nice that things are quiet, but it would be nice to have some income, you know what I mean?"

Sai didn't answer.

"If you were already told there was nothing available, then why are you still hanging around here? Waiting for him to change his mind or something? You've been pacing the same hallway for twenty minutes."

"I don't know what I'm doing," answered Sai. "I was home, got restless and came here."

"You know pacing makes you look creepy, right?"

"I've been called worse things."

"Sai!" came a girl's voice. "You there! Sai!"

Sai and the ninja turned around.

Sai saw the young girl coming closer to him with a cheerful expression and tried to figure out her identity.

"Aren't you Hinata's little sister?"

"Hanabi. Glad you know who I am, considering how we don't interact much." She handed him an envelope eagerly. "Here you go! This is for you."

Sai took the enveloped thrust to him. He turned it over in his hands, noticing that it was a bit fancier than most he had been given. "What is this?" he asked.

"An invitation to Naruto and Hinata's wedding," Hanabi announced proudly. "I'm helping to hand them out because it'll be a lot quicker this way."

"Their wedding?" Sai wasn't too surprised, but he thought Naruto would announce it to his friends long before invitations were handed out. Then again, they were both caught up in their own things at the moment.

"I know you'll be there, but make sure to respond anyway," said Hanabi. "And also make sure to get them a nice gift, ok? Make it good."

"As is the custom," said Sai with a smile. "I will be there, so let Hinata know if I don't see her first, ok?"

"You got it!" Hanabi gave him a thumbs-up and ran down the hall to deliver more invitations.

The ninja beside Sai looked at the envelope. "Naruto's wedding, huh? That kid's really grown up, huh?"

"Grown up?"

"Well, yeah. Considering how a lot of us thought of him before and how mature he's gotten… I don't know. A few years ago, I couldn't imagine him getting married at all. But after being called the hero of the Leaf, a lot of girls got interested in him. Ha! I guess the kid could get any girl he wants."

"He and Hinata have been dating a while," said Sai. "I understand that Hinata has liked him for some time."

"Well, there you go. It all works out."

Sai was happy for Naruto. He was glad Naruto found someone to spend his life with. He was happy they both were happy.

"I bet the Hokage knows, too," said the ninja. "Who am I kidding? Of course, he knows. He's probably going to help them plan it."

"Think so?"

"I bet Kakashi's happy for the both of them, too."

Sai smiled. "I'm sure he is. I'm happy for them."

The ninja gave Sai a pat on the back. "Like I said, Naruto's really grown up. Ah, it's nice to know he knows the answer to a very important question like that."

"What very important question?"

"Who he's going to spend the rest of his life with, of course. That's what I've been saying," said the ninja. "It's a very grown-up decision. You can't pick just anybody. Yup. I'm glad Naruto understands. He knows who he's in love with."

"In love with..?" Sai mumbled softly, looking back at the invitation in his hands.

Naruto had figured it out.

Had Sai?

He still wasn't sure.

But in light of everything, the answer was starting to become clear to him.

The ninja was right. It was an important question and a grown-up decision.

* * *

To think that Naruto was getting married.

It was a little odd, at least to some of their friends when they considered Naruto's immaturity and naivety, but Sai didn't find it all that surprising. He knew one day they would all grow up and eventually find someone, even Naruto. A part of him didn't think that Naruto would be the first among their group to do so, but a larger part of him knew Naruto liked to lead the charge, as it were. Him being the first to start something really wasn't that much of a surprise.

Had they really grown that much? It seemed like he was just being accepted as part of their group a few days ago. It had already been years. A lot had changed during that time. Even they've changed in a few ways. Aside from being stronger, some of them were really coming into their own. They were maturing. Sure, they still liked games and throwing parties, but even adults liked to do that. They were never too old to have fun.

Finding someone to love and starting a family. They probably wouldn't have thought of such a thing a few years ago. Not in a serious sense.

Not only that, but they were becoming aware of certain things that had gone unnoticed for some time and some of them were acting a bit more adult in the emotional sense. It became less and less about showing off and more about being considerate of others. Looking at the big picture. They weren't as self-absorbed anymore.

In the romantic sense, some of them were beginning to notice each other in a different way. Some were becoming more than friends now that they were getting older.

The physical and emotional changes were so subtle that Sai hadn't really noticed, in a similar way to how Kiba never noticed Akamaru getting bigger. Granted, Sai hadn't known these people all their lives like other members to the Hidden Leaf, but even he noticed the change; at least somewhat. It did require someone to point it out to him beforehand in order to get him to observe everyone and look for changes. Now he saw them clearly.

He saw everyone's changes except his own.

Aside from better understanding emotions and a different hairstyle, had he really changed that much? Was he mature?

So many things happened without them realizing. Had he changed without realizing, too? Did any of them notice a difference? Perhaps it was easier to see from the outside.

Sai then wondered if he was supposed to change.

For so long, he had been studying the social norm and tried to conform to it in order to fit in. He tried to act a certain way because it was expected of him. If close friends had nicknames for each other, then he should give them nicknames in order to become closer to the people he knew. He tried to change his facial expression to suit the current mood, but was often unsure of what expression he was supposed to use, so he simply mimicked others.

Mimicry. That's all it had been for him for so long. He was desperately trying to fit in and be like everyone else so he could be accepted.

If everyone else was maturing, then shouldn't he do the same?

What if he already had and never noticed?

What was he supposed to do?

Was he supposed to do anything?

What if it already happened and he was unaware?

Perhaps he should take Naruto and Sakura's advice and simply leave things alone.

Sai frown, looking at the ground as he walked. So many questions about what he was supposed to do.

Supposed to do or meant to do?

Weren't those things the same?

No. Upon closer consideration, Sai realized that these two things were not necessarily the same.

Conformity to him was doing what he was supposed to do. To do what was expected of him. Which was something he had been trying to do most of his life. Mimicking others in order to learn and fit in.

Doing what he was meant to do was a bit different. To him, it meant doing something that was inevitable. Something that didn't require much thought or planning. It happened naturally.

He had been doing this just as much as he had been trying to conform to the norm.

Like a child mimicking what they saw people do around them in order to learn what was expected of them and how they should behave, Sai was doing the same in order to make friends and not be a mindless, emotionless tool like Danzo wanted. He observed others and tried to do the same. However, as Kakashi pointed out to him, he didn't have to study as hard as he thought he did. The emotions he was experiencing and the closeness he felt towards Naruto came naturally. It was already in him. He couldn't help but feel it, but Sai hadn't noticed it take place until Kakashi pointed it out.

He didn't have to try that hard. He did have emotions. He didn't have to force himself to feel anything. He felt it anyway, regardless.

Perhaps this was the same way. Maybe he didn't have to wonder if he had matured like the rest of his friends or try to force himself to do so simply because they were. He knew he had changed somewhat, so there was no need. After considering all this, he realized that he didn't have to force himself. It might have already happened without him noticing.

This made Sai feel better. Once again, he was worrying over nothing. He didn't have to try that hard. Some things just happened naturally and he didn't have to focus on it in order to make sure it happened. Sometimes people learned things without knowing they were going to be taught something.

It happened for Naruto. Naruto didn't have to be taught how to mature. He did it on his own. He learned.

Sai had nothing to worry about.

Except, perhaps, about the perfect wedding gift.

* * *

He managed to get them the perfect gift. Sai was very pleased. He accomplished his goal ahead of schedule, too. Now he was free to do as he pleased until the big day. So far, that entailed dodging those still frantically getting ready for the wedding.

Everywhere he looked, people were competing with each other over gifts and arrangements. Several fights broke out and Kakashi had to tell everyone to tone in down a notch. Even so, Lee keeping his cool still involved him making a big fuss and calling attention to himself. Sai didn't know what Lee was up to, but he kept hearing him mention something about dumbbells.

Sai also noticed that Sakura and Ino were competing with each other once again. He missed most of the fight while he was out getting his gift, but he made it back in time to see the residual effects.

He knew better than to get in the middle of it. History told him that Sakura would hit him either by accident while trying to get to her real target or she would hit him on purpose for taking Ino's side. She would also hit him if he told her to calm down or if he told her it wasn't a big deal. If he tried to intervene… Who was he kidding? She would hit him no matter what he did. It was best to stay out of it.

But that look on Ino's face. He saw how angry she was.

This wedding thing was stressful. He thought it was the soon-to-be wedded couple who was supposed to be stressed, not the guests.

Ino really did look a lot prettier when she smiled.

He wanted to make her feel better. Things didn't go well when she was upset. She wasn't very approachable, for starters.

He just wanted to make her happy. To see that smiled he enjoyed so much. She had a good one and it didn't require much practice. A natural, happy smile.

Getting an idea, Sai went down a different street.

* * *

Ino finally managed to purchase a wedding gift for Naruto and Hinata. It wasn't her original idea, but this one was still pretty good. At least Sakura wouldn't steal it from her and hog all the glory for herself. She couldn't stand Sakura bragging about how she got the perfect gift for them while Ino stood in her shadow. When she mentioned how she had to one-up her friend, Shikamaru gently reminded her that it wasn't a competition which soon had him cringing when she shouted about how wrong he was.

At least she could relax now and get ready for the big event. She had to get the perfect dress, get her hair styled, wear the proper shoes, comfortable but stylish and they had to match her outfit.

Ino was looking in shop windows, trying to decide which store would have the best dress for her, when she heard her name being called.

Sai trotted up to her with a smile and his hands behind his back. He asked how she was doing.

She had calmed down considerably so Sai didn't have to keep his distance when he asked.

"I'm good," she said. "I finally got Naruto and Hinata a wedding gift."

"That's wonderful." Sai thought a moment. "If you picked it out, I'm sure it will be great."

Ino smiled. "Thanks. I do have great taste, don't I?"

She didn't. Not to him. He just didn't want to make her mood worse.

However, her taste was starting to grow on him a little. The clothes she wore did look nice. He liked the color. He wasn't a very fashionable person so he had no idea nor did he care about what was in style or not. If it fit, he wore it.

Sai gave her a smile. "I have something for you."

"Oh?"

Sai pulled a small box from behind his back and presented it to her.

Ino opened the small white box and gasped happily when she saw what was inside.

"I saw you looking at it during our second date. I thought you could wear it to the wedding."

Ino pulled the bracelet out of the box and strapped it to her wrist. The purple, flower-shaped crystals were absolutely stunning. It was brand-new, sparkling without a single flaw to be seen. No scratches, the clasp worked perfectly, it fit just right.

"It's perfect," Ino told him. "It's wonderful. Thank you so much."

There was that smile he was hoping for.

"I'm glad you like it."

Ino was so giddy, she was jumping up and down, staring constantly at the bracelet on her wrist. She looked cute, bouncing around like a bunny. She threw her arms around him and kissed his cheek.

"Thanks, Sai. You're the best!"

She let him go and Sai put a hand to the cheek she kissed. So that's what a kiss on the cheek felt like. Very enjoyable. Now he was smiling and couldn't help it. He was even blushing a little. Not just from the kiss but the compliment.

Ino looked from Sai to the store on her left. "Hey, want to help me pick out a dress for the wedding?"

That sounded tedious and boring, but Sai went along with it anyway. "Sure."

"Great! Let's see what outfits look best with this bracelet you got me."

"I would assume anything purple. Or white or black, because those go with any color."

"I want something that really pops. Come on!" Ino grabbed Sai's arm and dragged him inside.

Sai sat down on a cushioned chair next to the changing booths and waited for her to come out. She modeled several outfits for him, but he really didn't have an opinion on any of them. He wasn't in to fashion. He simply told her that all of them looked great on her, hoping to hurry this up. The only times he shook his head was when she came out wearing something that didn't flatter her body or showed off too much of it.

Ino finally settled on a dress and went to pay for it. She noticed Sai still trailing behind her and started wondering if this was fair to him. He got her a gift and she made him watch her try on clothes while he sat by himself and waited for her to be done. Sure, she gave him a kiss and thanked him, but she was starting to feel a little bad about it. What if Sai had other things to do today and she was keeping him from it? She really should have asked him.

"Are you busy today, Sai?" she asked after making her purchase.

"Not if you want me to spend time with you."

That was sweet. He put her first. Ino was flattered how Sai would give up his plans in order to spend more time with her. Or was he just being polite?

Two dates, those portraits of her, the bracelet, going shopping with her. Sai had done so much for her in the past few days.

What had she done for him? She let him show off his artwork for her, but she considered that mutual because she also wanted to see it. She gave him physical affection, hugging and kissing him. Was that enough? She would have done those things anyway, not just as a reward. She did rescue him, but that was a while ago and afterwards they did start dating.

She wanted him to be happy, too.

It wasn't just because Sakura warned her about driving him off by being selfish and fussy. She was also being considerate of his feelings. Not just for the sake of him being happy so he would buy her things. She actually wanted to see him happy.

"If you're not too busy, Sai," she told him, "there is a place I'd like to go with you."

"Ok. Lead the way."

She knew the perfect place for him. After handing him her bag to carry, she led the way over to a building and pulled him inside. "I think you'll like this."

Sai stepped inside a modest-sized art gallery. His eyes lit up at once.

"I heard this was opening to the public soon, but with all the wedding plans, I had forgotten it was opening today."

Ino was beaming. He had such a cute expression on his face. She also felt pretty proud of herself by doing this. She knew the perfect place to take him and it made him so happy.

She linked arms with him and they started to look around at all the different pieces.

"It's really quiet in here," she observed. As they approached a different piece, she rested her cheek on his shoulder and gave his arm a squeeze.

Sai glanced down at her and smiled. He looked back at the painting in front of him.

"What do you think about this one?" he asked her.

She looked at the swirl of colors and speckles of yellow scattered around the canvas.

"Hmm… It's pretty. But it just looks like somebody twirled a paintbrush across the page and then poked at it with some yellow. I like it, but I think just about anybody could do something like this, don't you?"

"I don't know," said Sai. "It's pretty complex to me. The color is balanced and it's interesting to look at. But the feeling I get from this is that it's something the artist couldn't easily duplicate."

"Really?"

"The movement of their paintbrush suggests passion to me. Like they let their heart guide the brush so they rarely had to look at what they were doing. It's very spur of the moment to me. I'm getting a cheerful vibe from it. Like the artist did this when they were in a good mood."

Ino looked at him. "Wow, you're so deep, Sai. I can't believe you got all that from this."

Sai grinned. "This is something I understand. I'm no good with certain things, and other things I still struggle with. But this comes easy to me. I can't say the wrong things through art."

Ino gave Sai a hug and pulled him over to the next one. "What about this one?"

Sai looked at the painting then at Ino. "You give it a try," he told her. "Tell me what it says to you."

"Me?"

"Yes." He gave her a smile, but it was a cheerful one. Not a fake one. "I'm curious. What's it say to you?"

Ino looked at the painting of a flower. "Well, it's a flower."

"Good." Sai nodded. "What else?"

"Um…" Ino studied it for a while. "Well… Flowers are romantic. So… I would say the artist has someone they're passionate about. Maybe unrequited love, or a secret love. Maybe this is an homage to them. Like a dedication."

Sai gave a slight chuckle.

"What?" she asked and gave him a little pout. "Did I get it wrong?"

"No, not at all." He put his arm around her. "You can't get an interpretation wrong. It's all in how the viewer sees it. That's what I like about doing this. It's the one thing you can't get wrong. Everybody might see something different and they'll all be right."

Ino smiled. "That's nice."

"I liked your interpretation," he told her. "It's very sweet. I can tell you know a lot about passion."

"Heh, I like how that was probably the first time I've heard you laugh."

Sai turned to her. "What?"

"When you chuckled. I think that was the first time I ever heard you laugh."

"Really?" He was a bit surprised.

Soon it became a game to Ino. They looked at different pieces together and Ino kept trying to make Sai laugh. Sometimes he came across as quietly indifferent and other times he just smiled. When she came to a sculpture and thought it was a nice tree, Sai pointed out that if she stepped back, it was actually a collection of humans standing together with their arms raised. After seeing that the roots were actually feet, Ino backed away and told him that the eye of the beholder couldn't be wrong.

Sai started laughing.

They went to see other pieces and they both found that it was actually pretty easy to make him laugh now that Ino opened that door.

Sai was already pretty happy being here with her. She was right. He probably hadn't laughed around her before. When she made that error and followed it up with that comment, Sai couldn't help but laugh. He found it really amusing and he didn't know why. It felt good to laugh like that.

The more they did together, the closer he felt to her. Being here with her, holding her hand and laughing, hearing her interpretations of different pieces…

He liked hearing her insight. He even told her so which caused her to blush.

"You think I'm insightful?"

"Sure, I do. You're intelligent."

"I think you are, too, Sai."

"Thanks."

They looked a the last few paintings in the gallery. These ones were of landscapes and a house surrounded by flowers.

"This was fun. I'm glad we saw this together, Sai."

"So am I. This was nice." He looked down at the hand holding his. "A nice break from all the wedding mayhem."

"Yeah. I hope Hinata isn't too stressed."

"They have people helping them. I'm sure it's fine."

Ino sighed, looking at the painting in front of her. "It's coming up soon. Can you believe it?"

"The people I've talked to are kind of surprised. They say Naruto's really grown up."

"Yeah. I guess we all have in a way."

"I think you're right."

Neither of them said anything for a while as they admired the painting on the wall in front of them. This was the final piece. After this, they would go do their separate things.

Sai wasn't sure what to do. He hoped Ino wouldn't go back to being stressed or bitter. She had a gift already picked out and an outfit. Surely there wasn't much else to stress her out.

"It's a special day," Ino commented. "A wedding's a special event. A lot of people are going to be there. I don't think Naruto and Hinata are going to be the only ones nervous."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. But marriage is about unity, right? Coming together and all that. Having that special bond. It's all so romantic, isn't it?"

"… Yeah."

Sai looked down at Ino's hand. Not the one holding his, but her left hand. The one sporting the bracelet.

"Would you like to go with me?" Sai asked.

"Hm?"

"To the wedding?"

Ino blinked. "You want to be my date at the wedding?"

"We're going to the same place anyway. We might as well go together. I don't mind escorting you."

Ino grinned.

"It's a day of being together, right?" Sai moved closer and rested his forehead against hers. "And I like being with you."

Ino smirked. Then she lifted her gaze and her smirk became a shy smile when she saw his eyes. She lifted her head slightly and gave him a kiss on the lips.

"I'd love to go with you."

"Great," said Sai. "It's a date."

* * *

Please review!


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:**

As the wedding date got closer, so had Sai and Ino. He visited the shop often. Even if she couldn't leave her post, he stood near the front desk and asked after her. Sometimes she would talk for ten minutes straight. Sometimes she could only spare a few moments.

Sai didn't do much talking, but something about him had changed. His mood improved each time he saw her. Even if she couldn't talk long, he was happy just to see her. Not only that, but his mood seemed to have an effect on his interactions with her. On one occasion, he didn't even come into the store. He just tapped on the glass with his hand and waited for her to look up. He went away after seeing her smile, satisfied. Another time, he traced circles on the back of her hand with his finger, feeling playful.

Sai was unaware of this until he had a moment to think back on it. Only then did he realize that he was acting a little out of his usual character. Not by much, but he noticed the change. He concluded that this was the result of the giddy feeling he had been having around her lately.

He had seen how others behaved while in that giddy state and was relieved that he didn't look as foolish. At least, he hoped he didn't. In truth, he didn't. Not like the girls chasing after their crushes as he had seen on separate occasions. Or like the fanbase Naruto had assembled recently. Girls would cheer and squeal when he walked by, shoving each other out of the way just to get a look at him. Sai didn't act like that.

The main reason was probably due to the fact that he didn't have a crush like those girls did. It wasn't a sudden infatuation. No, his liking Ino was a gradual thing. These feelings he was experiencing were developing and opening up over time.

Even so, he no longer thought that the word 'like' applied towards what he was feeling at this point. He liked several people, but this seemed… stronger. Very similar to how he felt towards Naruto and his own brother, though not quite the same.

He felt close to a select group of people; people he trusted. Ino happened to be one of those people now.

"Sai!"

He flinched.

Sakura came running up to him with a box in her hand. Kiba was next to her along with Ino and Choji.

Before he could ask what was going on, Sakura held the box out to him with both hands.

"Try this," she ordered.

Sai looked cautiously at the box. Inside were a bunch of round balls coated in what looked like chocolate. They were the size of gumballs and there were about a dozen of them. Knowing they were most likely food pills, and remembering what happened last time he tried something she made, Sai got nervous.

"Uh…"

"Go ahead. Tell me what you think." Sakura moved the box closer.

"Uh…"

"Don't do it," Kiba said, shaking his head. "They smell rotten to me."

"I'll eat them," offered Choji.

Sakura poked her teammate in the chest with the box. "Well, Sai?"

"Uh…"

"Don't bother," said Ino. "Anyone can tell you that I managed to make the better batch."

"But mine not only gives you a burst of energy and have health benefits, they also taste good." Sakura jabbed him in the chest again. "Try it!"

"Uh…"

"We'll just have Choji decide," said Ino.

"I'm game."

Sakura shook her head. "He's your teammate. Of course, he'll choose yours. That's not fair."

"Sai's your teammate and somehow that's fair?" Ino put her hands on her hips. "Besides, Choji has an iron gut. He'll be able to digest anything you give him."

"Just what are you saying, Ino-pig? That I can't cook? We had a competition not that long ago and we both saw how our skills have improved."

"But this isn't a meal. This is a food pill."

"I kind of have to take her side on this," said Kiba. "You tend to make your own from scratch. Can't you just buy them in a store or follow the recipe?"

"I'm making improvements to the recipe. They're loaded with health benefits and taste. I'm making them flavorful."

"Sai should eat mine first so he'll be strong enough to handle whatever you give him." Ino moved closer to Sai. "Here, have one of mine."

Sai looked at the dark green ball between her fingers. This looked a bit more like a food pill.

"Taste them at the same time," suggested Choji.

"That defeats the purpose of a taste testing!" the girls yelled.

Choji recoiled. "I'm aware of that. I was just trying to get this thing to move a little faster."

"Yeah," said Kiba. "You guys have been arguing for the past twenty minutes about this."

"Why don't you just walk away?" asked Sai, thinking of the obvious solution.

"They followed me!"

The girls held up their food pills.

"Try mine!"

"No, eat mine!"

There didn't seem to be any way out of this.

With a heavy sigh, he agreed to try both. Thinking Sakura's would be worse based on past grievances, Sai offered to eat hers first, then Ino's to get the taste out of his mouth.

He pinched his nose shut and opened his mouth.

"Are you kidding me right now?!" Sakura snapped. "Taste the damn thing!"

Sai took his hand off his nose, permitting his taste buds to experience the full effects. He took a hesitant bite out of hers.

"Well?" she asked.

Sai tried to keep it in his cheek as long as possible so he wouldn't taste it as much. Knowing he couldn't swallow it without chewing it a bit more, Sai had little choice. As he chewed, the texture of moss coated his tongue, picking up distinct flavors of bitter chocolate, spinach and something akin to pungent cheese which left a chalky aftertaste in his mouth.

He forced himself to swallow it. "Uh… It's… It's better than your past failures."

It was true. She had improved slightly.

"See? That's…" Sakura paused, picking up on what Sai had said. "What? My past what?"

"Uh… Attempts," he quickly corrected himself. "Past attempts."

Ino held her food pill in front of his mouth. "Try mine, darling."

Sai didn't react at first. Sakura thought it was because he was afraid to eat hers as well, but she was mistaken. Sai was motionless because this was the first time Ino had called him that.

Ino had given him a nickname.

His first nickname. He had one for just about everyone else, few of which he used, but he never had one of his own.

This was special.

The others didn't pick up on this even though they heard her say it. None of them took it as seriously as Sai did because they figured she was just flirting with him as usual.

Maybe that was what prompted Sai to happily take a bite out of her food pill without further hesitation. Since she was holding it so close to his face, he simply opened his mouth and took a bite while she held it in place.

Ino thought it was him being playful and a bit seductive, but the others thought it was just Sai being Sai.

Sai wasn't trying to be seductive, but he had to admit that eating from her hand like that was pretty fun.

Being given his own nickname and seeing her joyful reaction made her food pill taste even sweeter. It was a bit on the sweet side, but no sweeter than a piece of fresh fruit. As he chewed, he picked up on a bunch of different flavors. Some were more subtle, like biting into a potato, but the other flavors presented themselves quickly, enhancing the experience. It was like having a chunk of vegetable soup in his mouth but with a slightly sweet aftertaste to it. The food pill itself had the texture of a ripe peach.

"Well? How is it?"

Sai swallowed before answering. "Yours tastes a bit more like a food pill, but the flavor's a bit different. It's a little sweeter, I think. Overall, it tastes earthy, I guess. I've had food pills like that before. They don't all have a bland flavor to them."

"Ha!" Ino smirked at Sakura. "Another point for me. I win."

"He never said yours was better."

"I think he said it loud and clear."

Sakura glared at Ino, then rounded on Sai. "Sai, who had the better one?"

He blinked.

"Who had the better food pill? Was it me or Ino?"

He looked back and forth. "Well, if I had to be honest, I'd say…"

"Be honest," said Ino. "Be brutal."

"Shut up and let him talk, Ino-pig."

"You're the one interrupting him, forehead."

Kiba sighed. "Let's move this along. Sai, which one did you like better?"

Sai provided a hasty answer before considering the consequences. "I thought Ino's tasted better."

He didn't say it because he wanted her to be happy. Hers did taste better than Sakura's. She tweaked the formula too much, adding so much to it that there was no distinct flavor to it. It just tasted like a mess. Overall, Ino's tasted more like an actual food pill, only a tiny bit sweeter. She probably made a common food pill then infused it with fruit juice for flavor.

"Ha ha!" Ino gave a triumphant pose and rubbed her victory in Sakura's face. "I told you."

"How the hell could you say she…" Sakura's anger melted away as she stared at Sai with concerned eyes. "Sai, are you alright?"

Sai was turning green. He was hunched over, clutching his stomach. "I don't feel well."

He didn't. His stomach was in knots and his head was starting to spin. Covering his mouth with his hand, Sai rushed over to a building and threw up in a garbage can.

"I knew you'd poison him!" Ino snapped. "Your food pill made him sick!"

"How do you know it was mine? He ate yours last."

"Yours had just enough time to kick in. Mine didn't."

Choji gave Sakura a serious look. "Maybe you shouldn't dump everything into one food pill just because they're healthy ingredients. I mean, a little bit goes a long way. Even veggie soup doesn't have all vegetables in it."

"Guys, shouldn't we help him?" Kiba asked, looking at Sai hunching over the garbage can.

"You've done enough," said Ino. "I'll help him."

Since Ino also had medical training, Sakura didn't protest. Otherwise, she would have rushed over to help her teammate and remain with him until he was well. When she tried, Sai gave her a fearful look, hoping she wouldn't give him another food pill to counter the effects. Knowing Sai was afraid of receiving her help so soon after getting sick, Sakura went to figure out what went wrong with her food pill. Hers couldn't have made him sick, right?

* * *

Sai was so used to having Sakura's bedside manner that having Ino treating him was a little strange. She rubbed his back until he felt well enough to walk back to his apartment. He thought this was where they were parting ways, but Ino followed him inside.

Sai was in no condition to protest, so he let her do what she wanted while he made himself comfortable on the couch.

"I've eaten her food pills before," said Sai. "I'm usually fine after a few minutes."

"Food poisoning is easily treatable," Ino told him, making Sai wonder if she heard what he said.

Apparently, she hadn't because she was lingering in his home a lot longer than he expected her to. It wasn't all bad. She covered him with a blanket she found and stroked his cheek with her finger. Just in case he felt sick again, she brought over a pail he used for washing his paint brushes and set it down on the floor by his head.

"I'm sure I'll be fine in a bit," Sai insisted.

Ino seemed to hear what he said this time because she soon left after telling him to get some rest. He wasn't feeling well enough to get off the couch, so he remained on his side and waited for the sick feeling to pass.

Sai dozed off on the couch and when he woke up, he heard someone coming into his apartment. It was Ino again and she had something with her. Sai sat up and looked at the container she was opening.

The smell of soup wafted through the air.

Ino came over and sat next to him with a bowl in her lap and a spoon in her hand.

"You should eat something," she said. "This should make you feel better."

"Will I be able to keep it down?" he asked and not in reference to her cooking skill. He wasn't sure he could keep anything down.

Plus, he didn't actually know which food pill made him sick. He was certain it was Sakura's but it could have been a combination of the two.

Ino fed him like a baby and Sai didn't protest. It was a little weird to be treated this way. But he had tried to feed Naruto like this before and he got upset. Apparently, guys only wanted to be waited on by girls. Now he understood why. This was kind of nice. Though he did prefer to feed himself.

"How is it?" she asked him.

"Good." There wasn't much to it. It was a very basic broth with finely chopped pieces of carrots and celery in it. On the plus side, it didn't upset his stomach any further. In addition to that, having something in his stomach did make him feel a lot better.

Not to chance things, Sai decided not to overexert himself.

Sai laid back down on the couch while Ino rubbed his shoulder. She sat with him for a while without a word. Sai was the one to break the silence.

"Now you know why I don't eat things Sakura offers me."

That comment earned him a laugh from Ino. He was pleased he was able to make her laugh.

"The one good thing about it is that I was able to take care of you."

Sai agreed.

"Sakura heals me on missions and will treat me if I'm hurt… but her method usually involves giving me more pain."

More often than not, Sakura would treat him then hit him for making her worry or because he said something she didn't take kindly to. If she hurt him by accident, she would ask if he was alright while slapping him in the face until she got a response. If Naruto managed to talk him into leaving the hospital early, Sakura would send them right back in there, usually with her fist. When she wasn't smacking him, she was scolding him for allowing himself to be in such condition.

"I prefer your method a lot more," Said told Ino honestly. "You're so much kinder than she is."

He meant it. Even if Sakura was concerned about him, even if she treated his wounds to the best of her ability, she could not curb her temper. While Ino nursed him back to health, never once did Sai have to worry about being slapped so hard on the back she would leave a red handprint on his skin; nor did he have to worry about being slapped in the face for making more work for her or for getting hurt in the first place. Ino never yelled at him while he was under the weather. She showed him kindness and understanding.

She might have been feisty like Sakura at times, but as far as he could tell, Ino didn't have Sakura's temper or her fierce strength which was apparently difficult to control. Ino was a lot more gentle.

Aside from that, Sakura never made him soup before and she certainly never offered to feed him. Not unless both his arms were broken. Sakura usually gave him a shot to counter nausea and to keep him from dehydrating. Considering the alternative, he preferred Ino's way.

"I can bring you more soup for later if you like," Ino offered. "I can do it before my next shift at the flower shop."

Sai grinned at her. "I'm feeling a lot better, but I wouldn't mind seeing you again, Beautiful."

Ino started fidgeting the way she always did when she got excited or nervous. "Why do you have to say such things at a time like this? You're supposed to be resting and…" Her face was turning red.

She really wanted to throw her arms around him in a hug, but feared she would cause him to throw up the soup he just ate. As long as she didn't do it too tightly, he should be alright, but she didn't trust herself not to get carried away.

Plus, hearing Sai say that made her regret having to start her shift at the flower shop. She would much rather stay here and spend time with Sai.

However, Ino was no longer needed to nurse him back to health. Sai was feeling much better and the food pill was out of his system. There was no need for him to be babied like this. He knew the sick feeling wouldn't last long.

Even so, it was nice having Ino take care of him like this.

"I probably don't need any more soup. I'm pretty full and this way you won't have to leave right away. We can just hang out here for a bit and then I can walk you to work. How's that?"

Ino smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. "I'd like that."

* * *

After spending some time together, Sai escorted Ino to the flower shop and thanked her again for looking after him when he wasn't feeling well. He wasn't used to such pampering. He soon returned the favor by bandaging Ino's finger after she cut it on a thorn, fidgeting at Sai's flattering comments. He still didn't see how thanking her was flattering, but it was nice to be useful to her. He was sure she could bandage her own finger, but he wanted to help her.

Sai was about to leave when he thought of doing something he had seen other people do when someone had a minor injury like this. It wasn't a mimicking gesture. He actually had the urge to do it on his own but was inspired partly by observing others. He wanted to show her affection of his own free will, but thinking of how to do it involved him thinking about what other people did in these situations.

He gave Ino's bandaged finger a gentle kiss. Judging from the blushing cheeks and smile, she was pleased by his gesture. Sai was happy he chose well.

Ino thanked him and gave Sai a kiss on the cheek. Sai didn't leave, hoping she would give him another kiss, which she did. They locked lips for several long seconds then Sai left the shop, pausing outside the window to wave at her with a smile. She waved back.

Sai felt full of energy now and his heart was fluttering.

This joyful feeling was broken only when Sakura came up to him with a fresh batch of food pills and an apology about earlier.

"I changed the ingredients a bit. This should be an improvement and make you feel better. Here, try some."

"Uh…"

* * *

Is she trying to kill him?! XD

Please review!


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12:**

The day before the wedding, Ino was hard at work, getting all the flower arrangements done. The shop had gotten several large orders for the upcoming wedding, she had to work around the clock to get them all filled and ready for delivery and pick-up. It was a lot of rushing around, but she was relieved and happy when it was all done. Now she could take care of herself.

She thought it was sweet when Sai showed up to see her, but she couldn't pay much attention to him because of her workload. He offered to help her, but she said that she was the one who worked in the shop, so it was her responsibility.

It was so considerate of him to offer help. It was even nicer to see him at the doorway and wave to her with that happy smile. He really looked adorable.

Now that she had a free moment, she made sure her dress was ready for the big event. She had everything laid out and ready for her in the morning.

When that morning came, she got dressed, put extra effort into making herself look good and put on her jewelry.

She looked at herself in the mirror and realized something was missing.

She was wearing a thin necklace, but there seemed to be a big empty space over her chest. She needed a longer necklace.

Ino started looking around in her jewelry box for one, but they all came up short. One was the right length, but the clasp was broken.

She had put so much work into her looks and now she felt discouraged. All because of a necklace. It seemed silly, but to her it was important. It tied her whole look together. She had the whole thing planned. She knew exactly how she wanted to dress for the occasion.

It was too late to find another necklace now.

Already in a foul mood, Ino started to get ready to leave. Sai would be showing up any second to take her.

She opened the door and found Sai with his hand raised, about to knock on the door which was no longer under his knuckles.

"Hi," he said, a little startled by the door disappearing so soon.

"Hey." Ino looked at Sai's other hand which was holding another white box. This one was long and narrow. "What's this?"

"Oh. Um." Sai lowered his hand and placed it on the box. "I was thinking…"

"Yeah?" she prompted.

"Well, a while ago, after I sketched you in the flower shop, I went to an art store to pick up some supplies. I noticed these decorative jewels that reminded me of your eyes." Sai looked at the box in his hands. "I went back the other day when I remembered them and wanted to see if I could make you something. It's not really my craft, but I wanted to try to make a necklace for you."

"Yeah?" she asked, getting excited.

"Well, those jewels weren't beads, so I couldn't make a necklace from them and the ones that were had been sold. The ones that were left were cheap plastic and didn't sparkle, so they wouldn't be good enough for you."

It was a sweet thing of him to say but she was disappointed that he didn't make her a necklace.

"Then what's this?" she asked, pointing to the box.

Sai looked at her, then at the box. "Oh. Yeah. See, when you were trying on dresses, it made me think of the jewels and that's why I went there to see if I could find them again. When I didn't, I went back to the same place I got your bracelet and I found something."

Sai opened the box for her which contained an emerald necklace.

"I bought it yesterday and wanted to give it to you, but I saw how busy you were. I decided to wait until today when I picked you up to give it to you. You've been working so hard and all, and I thought it would look good on you, so…"

This was the second piece of jewelry he had gotten for her without having to be asked. It couldn't have come at a better time, too.

Ino was so elated, she turned around and told him to put it on her. He fixed it around her neck and made sure the clasp was secure.

It was the perfect length and the green really helped balance all the purple she was wearing.

"This is the best surprise and just what I needed to tie everything together. Thanks, Sai."

Mood now fixed, Ino wrapped her arms around Sai and gave him a kiss.

"Glad you like it." Even if he was now broke. Hopefully she wouldn't see any other pieces of jewelry that suited her. Sai was content giving her just the bracelet and necklace.

Sai wasn't sure what possessed him to get it for her. He understood his reasons for the bracelet, but the necklace? It wasn't just because he saw it and thought it would look good on her. She had made him so happy lately and he had such a nice time at the art gallery that he felt the need to do something nice for her.

A few months ago, that wouldn't have made any sense to him but now, for some reason, it did.

Sai held out his hand. "Shall we?" he asked, and Ino took his hand.

When Sai and Ino arrived at the wedding, they couldn't help but notice the people staring at them with polite interest. Some looked at them then nudged their dates and gestured discretely at the arriving pair. Some just looked at them and smiled.

Sai followed their eyes, his ninja training kicking in, and read the directionality of their glances and how their expressions changed. He could tell that it wasn't the fact that they had arrived that caused these looks. No, it was what they saw them doing that caused their expressions to change.

They were looking at their hands.

Sai and Ino arrived holding hands and had yet to let go of each other.

Sai saw it clearly. The party-goers looked at their faces, then at their hands. That's when their expressions changed. It was the hand-holding. A sign of affection. That's why they looked surprised but happy.

Sai felt their gazes but none of them were threatening so he ignored them for the most part. They seemed to approve this pairing.

Ino looked around for her closest friends, wanting to stand near them when the wedding started. She, too, noticed some of the looks, but she didn't pay that much attention to them. Part of her wanted to believe that they were staring because she looked so beautiful. Or because she was with a good-looking guy.

She spotted Sakura standing by herself looking around at all the guests.

Ino knew that expression well. That was the same face she had the night of the party when she told Sakura she had feelings for Sai but he barely paid any attention to her.

In that moment, Ino felt truly sorry for Sakura.

True, she had snagged Sasuke for herself, but Sasuke wasn't in the village anymore. What good was having him if he was never around? She couldn't even show him off.

Sakura was attending the wedding alone.

Ino didn't want to brag about how she had a date to the wedding. She didn't even want to brag about how she landed a good-looking guy who would be standing beside her before and after the wedding was over. She couldn't bring herself to do that because she had matured to the point of realizing how truly lucky she was.

She loved the idea of having guys fighting over her, but that all meant nothing if they didn't stick around after the fact. She wanted someone who would not only fight for her, but be there for her and love her. She wanted someone who cared about her more than winning the prize.

If she had landed Sasuke, then she would be alone, standing where Sakura was, watching all the couples parade around happily holding hands.

Though she had a desire for Sasuke as well, she wanted him to be with her. Not disappear and leave her wondering when they'd meet again.

Couple or not, Sakura must have been lonely. Though she had won, she was standing by herself.

That's all Ino could focus on for a while, playing that reality over and over again in her mind. A part of her was doing that to convince herself that she was better off without Sasuke even if it did mean losing to Sakura in terms of love. Another, stronger part was doing this so she understood that she hadn't lost anything and was truly lucky to have someone beside her who cared about her.

She had no comforting words to offer Sakura, so Ino kept all of her comments to herself and didn't bother walking over to her while holding Sai's hand to silently show off her prize.

This was supposed to be a happy occasion. What was she doing worrying about Sakura's happiness? Ino looked away from her to scan for other couples.

Ino noticed another couple holding hands and was taken aback for a moment. "When did they hook up?"

Sai turned around. "Who do you mean?"

"Shikamaru and Temari."

Sai followed her gaze to the other couple and saw Temari's blushing face.

His smile deepened, learning that Shikamaru had fallen in love with someone. No wonder he was able to describe the feeling so well.

Ino had known that Shikamaru had gone on what she assumed to be a date with Temari because she and Choji were spying on them through the restaurant window not too long ago. This was her first time seeing them holding hands.

She had never seen Temari blush before. Shikamaru always said how troublesome women were, so it was hard for her to see him actually hooking up with someone. It was a little strange to see them together like this. Sweet, but strange.

"Anyway," said Sai, "everyone probably thinks about us the same way."

He gave her hand a squeeze.

Ino felt the eyes of several wedding guests upon them and knew Sai was correct. She didn't mind the stares. When she saw Sai's smile and felt his hand holding hers, little else mattered.

She was happy to have him by her side.

* * *

It was a marvelous wedding. The guests enjoyed every minute of it. Everything went well. The flowers were beautiful, the food was delicious and the weather was perfect.

Sai and Ino found themselves under a tree after the wedding was over and the guests were starting to leave. Some partied a little too hard and had to be dragged away by their friends.

"That was great," commented Ino.

"Naruto and Hinata looked so happy," said Sai. "I'm glad."

Ino rested her body against Sai's. His right arm was still wrapped around her shoulders, cushioning her from the rough tree bark.

"That party was really good, don't you think?"

"It was," agreed Sai.

"Everyone had a nice time." Ino covered her face with her hand. "But that dancing was horrible."

"I warned you I couldn't dance."

"Not you. Lee!"

"Oh, yeah. That was awful." Sai started laughing, remembering the 'youthful' dance moves Lee tried to pull off. It got almost everyone laughing at the time. Tenten looked mortified and kept telling him to knock it off. When that didn't work, she tried to quietly make herself invisible.

"Naruto's dancing wasn't half bad, though. Do you think he practiced?"

"Who knows?"

Sai stretched his legs out in the grass. It was good to sit down and rest after all that excitement. "I'm exhausted."

"Me, too." Ino rested her head against his. "This was a lot of fun. And it looked like a lot of people got caught up in the romance."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. So many people holding hands and getting all lovey-dovey with each other."

"Hm."

They sat under the tree for a long time without saying a word. It was so quiet and peaceful that Sai was beginning to nod off. Ino saw this and gave him a kiss on the tip of his nose.

He opened his eyes and looked at her. He shifted himself into a more upright position to prevent himself from getting too comfortable again.

Normally, he never nodded off in the open like this. It wasn't just feeling tired from the party. Ino had a way of making him feel comfortable. He felt so calm around her.

He didn't have to practice what he was going to say to her. He told her about his thoughts and feelings openly. Not just about art, but in general. It was only recent that he was able to do that, but it was still an important milestone for him.

He looked at Ino playing with the necklace he gave her, rolling it between her fingers. The other hand was in her lap. Sai placed his left hand on top of hers and held it.

She turned her head and their eyes locked.

Maybe it was all the romance still lingering it the air. Maybe it was inspiration from the wedding and seeing how happy the newlyweds were.

He didn't know but something was pulling him closer to her. Sai held her close with his arm and kissed her. Ino kissed back. After a moment, Ino parted her lips and Sai did the same, allowing her to deepen the kiss.

He briefly thought back to their kiss on the bench and how unprepared he was but how good it felt. He was embarrassed by how carried away he got, kissing her neck and shoulder, but she told him it was fine. He liked doing that. It felt good.

Ino brought her head down and started nuzzling his neck. Sai hadn't felt her do this before. This felt pretty good, too. Then she kissed his neck and Sai closed his eyes.

Ino pulled away and buried her fingers in his hair. Sai kept his eyes closed as she massaged his scalp.

Such a gentle touch. She was so warm. Sai felt so content when he was with her. She was kind to him. He felt safe around her.

Why?

He knew he was stronger than her in a fight.

Was it because he didn't have to worry about her hitting him if he messed up or said the wrong thing? That was why he was certain he could never get this close to Sakura. He didn't feel that way about her anyway.

Perhaps this sense of security didn't come from either of those things but the comfort of knowing she would be there for him, be it in battle or emotionally.

Being stronger than her did make him feel important, actually. The idea of being her hero made him feel, not just important but elated. He felt that he was needed. He felt reliable. He felt wanted.

He felt so many things.

When was the last time he thought about that checklist? It had been so long, he had forgotten about it. He was just having fun spending time with her and enjoying the moment. Just feeling what the experience was like.

It was a good experience.

He had never felt this way before.

But only around her.

He felt different when he was around her. He felt affectionate. She made him happy.

It was much more than having a close friend.

He was grateful to her. He cared about her.

He loved her.

He realized that now.

This was how it felt to be in love.

He had loved other people but in a different way. How he loved a brother and loved a friend were different from how he loved this girl. A bond only the two of them could share. Something driving him, comforting him, cheering him. It made him more daring, more vulnerable, stronger. Happier.

She really was beautiful to him.

When he thought back to the checklist and how most of the boxes were checked off, he realized he didn't need it anymore. He had discovered the answer without it.

All that planning, all that calculating, all that research. It wasn't needed.

Things didn't go as planned. A lot of it was awkward and a few things he was expecting to have happen didn't happen. It wasn't like those romance novels he read or those magazines he looked at in the store.

But it happened all the same.

His love story was different from others, but he didn't mind. Just like with every drawing he made, every one of them was unique and came from his emotions, whether or not he was aware of it. He found that bringing a drawing to life and loving her were just as easy. He didn't have to think about it. He could just feel it.

Sai smiled when he realized what had transpired.

He had fallen in love. It was subtle, but it happened. In a way, it kind of sneaked up on him when he wasn't putting so much thought and planning into it. To do romantic things and study to see if he was feeling anything akin to love. When he put all that scientific thought aside and simply let his feelings guide him, it was so much easier.

It was a lot more fun to simply experience it. To not think about it and just let it all come naturally.

It probably wasn't what other people were expecting when they thought of romance, but Sai wouldn't trade it for anything.

All he had to know was that there was someone who cared about him enough to stay with him despite his faults. To value him in a way no one else did. Someone who was kind to him and gentle. Someone he could trust. Someone he could show affection to and have it reciprocated. Someone who would be there for him. He knew if he was ever in trouble, she would be there to help him. She had already proven that.

Ino really was good to him. Aside from her rescuing him during his mission, she had done so many other things. Before and after. He had never had someone cook for him before, and she was decent at it. She showed him so much kindness. She was even willing to get to know him and learn what he would enjoy. To find out his interests and take part in them. She wanted to get closer to him. She made an effort for him, which was something he appreciated.

Ino treated him in a way no one else did and Sai found himself behaving in a way he wouldn't towards anyone else. When he did it with her, it came naturally. He didn't have to think about it. In the beginning, he wondered whether or not he should, but now that they had gotten closer, Sai didn't have to wonder about holding her hand or kissing her. Even now, under this tree, who else would he be cuddling with so easily? He couldn't think of anyone else but her.

That was love.

Knowing he finally had the answer to the important question, Sai held Ino tightly in his arms and smiled.

He finally understood why all those couples looked so foolish when he saw them grinning like idiots and doing those strange things that, at one time, made no sense to him. Now that he was feeling it for himself, he understood why they looked like that. This giddy feeling must have had him grinning like a fool, too. He didn't mind. It felt good to do it.

Sai moved Ino's chin upward with his fingers and kissed her.

The way she held him in her arms, the way she kissed him back.

He could only see himself doing this with her.

Ino placed her head on his chest, resting. Sai wrapped his arms around her and held her.

"We should probably get going," she said, looking at the orange sky. "It's getting late."

"Yeah."

"It was a great party, but I'm pretty worn out after all that. But it was a wedding. It's ok to party hard, right?" Ino brushed her ponytail off her shoulder as she sat up. "I figured it was ok to get a little crazy since we don't know when another party like this will happen."

"Probably for another wedding."

Ino giggled. "Yeah. Like for one of the other couples here." She kept her head turned so Sai wouldn't see her face when she added, "Or… Or our wedding."

She was only teasing, but part of her was serious. She didn't want Sai to know that. She had fantasized about her wedding for years, which was something a lot of young girls did. Whether or not she was being serious, she didn't want Sai to make fun of her or get scared by the suggested commitment. She hoped she wasn't wrong for saying it out loud. Now that she had, she was embarrassed.

"Why not?" asked Sai.

"Why not what?"

"Have a wedding for us someday?"

Ino turned around. "Huh?" Her face was turning pink. "R- really?"

"If that's what you want." Sai smiled at her. "I wouldn't be opposed."

Ino started fidgeting with nervous excitement, her face getting redder by the second.

"Are you serious?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly from excitement. "You'd really marry me?"

Sai had finally answered that important question, so he was confident in his response.

"Sure," he told her, looking in her eyes. "I love you."

Ino's eyes went wide. That was the first time Sai had ever said those words to her. To anyone.

She was fidgeting all over again. "Really? You do?"

He nodded. "Yes. I've fallen in love with you, Ino." He meant every word of that. There was no doubt in his mind or heart what he was feeling.

Ino's smile was the biggest he had ever seen.

Ino gave a squeal of delight. "I love you, too, Sai."

Sai touched his forehead to Ino's. "I thought so."

"How'd you know?"

Sai leaned closer and gave Ino a kiss before answering.

He gave Ino a tender smile. "Just a feeling."

* * *

The end!

Hope you liked it! I thought it would be a nice story to do for Valentine's day.

May love be with everyone!

Thanks for reading and please review!


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